Published Online:March 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of English Studies
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJES080325
DOI:10.71329/IUPJES/2025.20.1.98-111
Author Name:Dhruvee Sinha and Zeeshan Ali
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Arts and Humanities
Download Format:PDF
Pages:98-111
Narrative therapy has emerged as a promising approach for trauma recovery, supported by neuroscientific research that underscores the healing power of storytelling. Extensive research has been conducted on the therapeutic potential of narratives, yet the role played by literary narratives in healing the traumatized self remains largely overlooked. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing Witness the Night’s Durga, a fourteen-year-old survivor of child abuse, through the lens of narrative therapy. Interpreting the novel’s narrative trajectory in the contexts of trauma, identity, and empowerment, the paper recognizes its psychotherapeutic dimensions. The findings indicate how narration deconstructs limiting stories, restores agency for survivors, and highlights the role of trauma survivors in rewriting their storylines towards strength and resilience.
In literature, the pedagogical role of narration is vital when it not only deconstructs but also emotionalizes, reflecting on the infinite dimensions of human experience, particularly those that probe into the nature of human suffering.