GENDER, TRAUMA AND THE HORRORS OF WAR IN YVONNE VERA’S THE STONE VIRGINS

Abstract

Studies in Zimbabwean war novels, especially Yvonne Vera’s The Stone Virgins, have
been examined from diverse theoretical frameworks like historicism, structuralism,
Marxism, eco-criticism, post-colonialism among others, while some have narrowed their
critical orientations of the novel to gender discourse contemplating the societal status,
roles, positions and subjugation of women during and after the liberation struggle.
However, those works as informed by gender realities focus on the pains, sufferings,
horrors, terrors, violence, trauma among others, meted out to women without employing
the theory that effectively reflects these traumatic experiences effectively. In spite of the
peculiar meanings derivable from the afore-mentioned theories, they are not adequate to
fully expose and grasp the sufferings the victims were subjected to during the liberation
struggle. This apparent gap is what this paper seeks to bridge by employing Trauma
theory with emphasis on insidious trauma. Since Trauma theory reflects both the
psychical and physical wounds accessible in war conflicts, it seems to be a
comprehensive theory that captures the traumatic encounters of victims in war ravaged
societies.