Trauma and Loss in Hisham Matar’s Anatomy of a Disappearance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1701.26Keywords:
Anatomy of a Disappearance, Matar, trauma, Anglophone literature, diasporaAbstract
This study examines the socio-political and cultural contexts that shape familial trauma in Hisham Matar’s Anatomy of a Disappearance (2011). Specifically, it analyzes the fraught relationship between father and son, exploring how this dynamic intensifies Nuri’s psychological and emotional distress and shapes the novel’s narrative. Trauma theory has garnered significant attention among Arab diaspora writers, and Matar intricately engages with this discourse by portraying the lasting impact of loss and displacement. Through Nuri’s childhood trauma—intensified by his father’s disappearance—the novel interrogates themes of fear, anxiety, and unresolved grief. This study situates Anatomy of a Disappearance within trauma theory, emphasizing the parallels between Nuri’s fictional suffering and Matar’s personal experiences. By exploring the intersection of personal and collective trauma, it highlights how Matar’s narrative reflects not only individual loss but also broader historical and political realities of Libyans during different times. Additionally, this paper contributes to scholarship on contemporary Anglophone literature by analyzing how Matar’s narrative structure in English conveys Libyan political trauma to transnational audiences. Despite Matar’s critical acclaim, Anatomy of a Disappearance has received limited scholarly attention, particularly in relation to trauma studies. Addressing this gap, this study contributes to existing scholarship by examining how the novel engages with trauma in contemporary diasporic literature.
References
Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G., & Tiffin, H. (2002). The empire writes back: Theory and practice in post-colonial literatures (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Abrahamson, C. E. (2006). Motivating students through personal connections: Storytelling as pedagogy in introductory psychology. In D. S. Dunn & S. L. Chew (Eds.), Best practices for teaching introduction to psychology (pp. 245–258). Erlbaum.
Baker, C. (2017). Trauma, exile, and the construction of identity in diasporic literature. Routledge.
Berdesi, E. (J.), Ghanem, E. M., El Khatib, N., & Rafidi, T. J. (2026). Storytelling as a tool of empowerment: Unlocking migrants’ voices in the language classroom. In T. Rousoulioti, C. Pitsou, A. Saglam, & K. Finch (Eds.), Language education and human rights in democratic educational settings (pp. 281–310). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-2670-2
Brah, A. (1996). Cartographies of diaspora: Contesting identities. Routledge.
Caruth, C. (1995). Trauma: Exploration in memory. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Caruth, C. (1996). Unclaimed experience: Trauma, narrative, and history. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Cohen, R. (2008). Global diasporas: An introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Crossman, K., Ibrahim, E. H., Kostouros, P., & Wang, H. (2024). Teaching English language learners who have trauma experiences: Healthy boundaries, happy teachers. TESL Canada Journal, 41(2), 35–58. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v41i2/1410
Felman, S., & Laub, D. (1992). Testimony: Crises of witnessing in literature, psychoanalysis, and history. Routledge.
France 24 English. (2017, May 22). Hisham Matar’s The Return seeks answers in post-Gaddafi Libya [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe2Tod-CYkY
Fryer, B. (2003). Storytelling that moves people. Harvard Business Review, 81(6), 51–55.
Garcia, J. (2019). Review of The Return: Fathers, sons, and the land in between. The Yale Review of International Studies. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://yris.yira.org/essays/the-return-review
Gikandi, S. (2001). Globalization and the claims of postcoloniality. The South Atlantic Quarterly, 100(3), 627–658. https://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-100-3-627
Gilroy, P. (1993). The Black Atlantic: Modernity and double consciousness. Harvard University Press.
Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference (pp. 222–237). Lawrence & Wishart.
Harlow, B. (2012). From flying carpets to no-fly zones: Libya’s elusive revolution(s), according to Ruth First, Hisham Matar, and the International Criminal Court. Journal of Arabic Literature, 43(2–3), 431–457. https://doi.org/10.1163/1570064x-12341238
Hawley, J. C. (2017). Mourning and melancholy in Hisham Matar’s In the country of men and Anatomy of a Disappearance. In R. Erguig, A. Boudlal, A. Sabil, & M. Yeou (Eds.), Cultures and languages in contact IV (pp. 203–218). Reserves à la Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines – El Jadida.
Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror. Basic Books.
Hirsch, M. (2012). The generation of postmemory: Writing and visual culture after the Holocaust. Columbia University Press.
Jalal, S. (2014). The politics of exile: Hisham Matar’s diasporic narrative. Postcolonial Text, 9(2), 1–18.
Jarrar, R. (2008). A map of home. Penguin Books.
Jemi, A. E. (2017). Psychosomatic angst in Hisham Matar’s Anatomy of a Disappearance. The Criterion: An International Journal in English, 8(2). Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.the-criterion.com/V8/n2/AF01.pdf
Kaplan, E. A. (2005). Trauma culture: The politics of trauma in contemporary society. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kearney, J. (2014). Traumatised narrators in Hisham Matar's novels. Journal of Literary Studies, 30(3), 124–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2014.949414
Kunzru, H. (2011, March 8). Hisham Matar: Libya’s reluctant spokesman. Guernica. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.guernicamag.com/hisham-matar-libyas-reluctant-spokesman
Lionnet, F. (1995). Postcolonial representations: Women, literature, identity. Routledge.
Maguire, J. (1998). The power of personal storytelling: Spinning tales to connect with others. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.
Mason, S. (2021). Trauma’s effect on English learners’ language acquisition: Best practices for a trauma-informed classroom (Capstone project). Hamline University. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/636
Matar, H. (2006, July 5). Hisham Matar: “I just want to know what happened to my father.” The Independent. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/hisham-matar-i-just-want-to-know-what-happened-to-my-father-6095246.html
Matar, H. (2011). Anatomy of a Disappearance. The Dial Press.
Matar, H. (2013, April 8). The Return. The New Yorker. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/08/the-return-8
Mattin, D. (2011, March 8). Anatomy of a Disappearance, by Hisham Matar: The changing state of Libya spins a tale. The Independent. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/anatomy-of-a-disappearance-by-hisham-matar-2226591.html
Medley, M. (2012). A role for English language teachers in trauma healing. TESOL Journal, 3(1), 110–125. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.6
National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2016). Children with traumatic separation: Information for professionals. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/children_with_traumatic_separation_professionals.pdf
Nikro, N. S. (2012). The fragmenting force of memory: Self, literary style, and civil war in Lebanon. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Nir, G. (2018). Fragmented identity and the child narrator in contemporary literature. Journal of Child Literature Studies, 4(1), 23–45.
Pappamihiel, N. E., McNulty, E., & Galarza-Hernandez, J. (2022). Helping general education teachers integrate trauma-informed practices with English learners. Journal of Multicultural Education, 17(2), 91–105. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1383519.pdf
Reynolds, S., & Costa, B. (2023). How to address the effects of trauma in the English language classroom. Teaching English. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-practices/articles/how-address-effects-trauma-english
Sadouni, B., & Abu Amrieh, Y. (2022). Trees as safe havens in Faqir’s Willow trees don’t weep and Matar’s In the country of men. Anglo Saxonica, 20(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.5334/as.73
Schönfelder, C. (2013). Wounds and words: Childhood and family trauma in Romantic and postmodern fiction. Transcript Verlag. https://doi.org/10.14361/transcript.9783839423783
Van der Kolk, B. A., & McFarlane, A. C. (1996). Trauma and its challenge to society. In B. A. Van der Kolk, A. C. McFarlane, & L. Weisaeth (Eds.), Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society (pp. 139–160). Guilford Press.
Vickroy, L. (2002). Trauma and survival in contemporary fiction. University of Virginia Press.
Whitehead, A. (2009). Memory. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203888049
Wilbur, A. (2017). Creating inclusive EAL classrooms: How LINC instructors understand and mitigate barriers for students who have experienced trauma. TESL Canada Journal, 33(10), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v33i0.1243
Wilson, V. E., Le Brocque, R., Drayton, J., & Hammer, S. (2024). Understanding and responsiveness in the trauma-informed adult ESL classroom. The Australian Educational Researcher, 51, 2069–2097. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00680-2
Worth, R. F. (2017). Libyan ghosts: Searching for truth after Qaddafi [Review of The Return: Fathers, sons, and the land in between, by H. Matar]. Foreign Affairs, 96(3), 127–132. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44823739
Zacarian, D., Álvarez-Ortiz, L., & Haynes, J. (2017). Teaching to strengths: Supporting students living with trauma, violence, and chronic stress. ASCD.
