"Those were her sunflower years": trauma, postmemorija i simbolički aspekti cveća u romanu Šuma suncokreta Tori Hejden

Abstract

Primarily focusing on the theoretical framework of trauma and psychoanalysis, but also keeping in mind the concept of postmemory as described by Marianne Hirsch, the paper reflects on the relationship of the second generation towards the trauma of Holocaust survivors. The unspeakable pain caused by this experience actively shapes the present of descendants and represents heritage as well as a burden for the survivorʼs family members. The novel The Sunflower Forest by Torey Hayden which has not yet been translation to Serbian and analyzed in academic circles, we are presented with the lives of the OʼMalley family, the mother Mara, her husband and daughters Leslie and Megan. Clear signs of trauma may be seen in the Motherʼs behavior, based on which it is emphasized that “loss of family, home, of a sense of belonging and safety in the world ʼbleedʼ from one generation to the next.” Of special significance for the psychological analysis of the protagonists is the appearance of flowers, that present a type of motif throughout the entirety of the novel and that can be connected to the Motherʼs trauma. Following the floral skeleton on the novel, the symbolic journey of flowers is evident in the path Lébény – Wales – Texas – Kansas. Each spatial element is inextricably linked to the existence of flowers. Searching for the symbolic representation of flowers leads to the Forest of Flowers, which is in close relationship with sunflowers, while reading meaning into lilacs and sunflowers opens new and different interpretations of the novel. The Motherʼs obsession with flowers is seen as having a positive impact as it is associated with freedom upon being released from the concentration camp, having moved her thoughts away from her traumatic experiences. Flowers become a repeated motif as they console the Mother and provide her with existential warmth. Thus, flowers in the novel The Sunflower Forest emerge as a type of coping mechanism for surviving trauma, as a metaphor of the longing for recovery and freedom and as a metaphorical replacement for her long lost son