BEYOND THE FLESH: TRAUMA AND POWERLESSNESS IN RIJULA DAS’ SMALL DEATHS

Abstract

This study documents the psychological and sociocultural dimensions of trauma as presented in Rijula Das' Small Deaths (2022), with particular emphasis on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a structuring framework for understanding the lived experiences of sex workers in Sonagachi, Kolkata's most prominent red-light district. The theoretical foundations are extracted from Cathy Caruth's formulations in trauma studies, most notably her conceptualization of a “catastrophic age”. This research interrogates how Das implements narrative techniques to uncover the interior psychological landscapes of marginalized women entrapped within systemic cycles of exploitation, powerlessness, and enforced vulnerability. The study situates PTSD not merely as a clinical construct but as a profound literary lens through which recurring motifs of oppression, identity fragmentation, and existential loss are critically analyzed. The symptomatic clusters of trauma — traumatic awakening, hyperarousal, intrusion, captivity, and disconnection, are applied for the analysis. The research demonstrates how Das constructs characters whose psychological disintegration mirrors broader socio-structural failures. Furthermore, the analysis investigates the symbolic resonance of the novel's title, arguing that "small deaths" operates as a powerful metaphor encompassing emotional erosion, identity dissolution, and the perpetual negotiation with mortality experienced by disenfranchised women. The research method is based on close textual reading and trauma theory. This research contributes to the growing scholarly discourse on trauma literature within South Asian fictional traditions. It affirms that Das' work constitutes a significant intervention in representing invisible suffering through the transformative power of literary narration.

Keywords: Small Deaths, Rijula Das, PTSD, trauma theory, Sonagachi, marginalization, South Asian literature, Cathy Caruth