Honors College Theses

Publication Date

4-13-2021

Major

Writing & Linguistics (B.A.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Faculty Mentor

Benjamin Drevlow

Abstract

This short story cycle follows various young protagonists between the ages of four to seventeen years of age who experience, witness, and respond to traumatic situations. These traumatic situations range from neglect to assault and will often overlap. Each story is set in the same fictional American town in order to ground the narrative and allow the characters to interact with each other’s lives. What distinguishes this collection is that rather than looking back at childhood trauma through the reconstructed memories of adult trauma survivors, these stories look through children’s eyes at trauma presently occurring in their lives. This purposeful choice of perspective raises awareness for difficult situations that children face despite their youth and innocence. These stories are fueled by a variety of interdisciplinary sources: theories and research on trauma, recovery, memory, intersectionality, and cognitive development; research into short story cycles and literature revolving around children and trauma; and personal experience. Because it is well-informed by these sources, this cycle shines a light on how children may cope or struggle with trauma, such as signs of abuse or neglect, which will aid the mature audience in helping real-life traumatized children and provide a realistic portrayal of trauma survivors.

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