How Long to Read Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison

How Long Does it Take to Read Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison?

It takes the average reader 6 hours and 25 minutes to read Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison by Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

In this first interdisciplinary study of all nine of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison's novels, Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber investigates how the communal and personal trauma of slavery embedded in the bodies and minds of its victims lives on through successive generations of African Americans. Approaching trauma from several cutting-edge theoretical perspectives -- psychoanalytic, neurobiological, and cultural and social theories -- Schreiber analyzes the lasting effects of slavery as depicted in Morrison's work and considers the almost insurmountable task of recovering from trauma to gain subjectivity. With an innovative application of neuroscience to literary criticism, Schreiber explains how trauma, whether initiated by physical abuse, dehumanization, discrimination, exclusion, or abandonment, becomes embedded in both psychic and bodily circuits. Slavery and its legacy of cultural rejection create trauma on individual, familial, and community levels, and parents unwittingly transmit their trauma to their children through repetition of their bodily stored experiences. Concepts of "home" -- whether a physical place, community, or relationship -- are reconstructed through memory to provide a positive self and serve as a healing space for Morrison's characters. Remembering and retelling trauma within a supportive community enables trauma victims to move forward and attain a meaningful subjectivity and selfhood. Through careful analysis of each novel, Schreiber traces the success or failure of Morrison's characters to build or rebuild a cohesive self, starting with slavery and the initial postslavery generation, and continuing through the twentieth century, with a special focus on the effects of inherited trauma on children. When characters attempt to escape trauma through physical relocation, or to project their pain onto others through aggressive behavior or scapegoating, the development of selfhood falters. Only when trauma is confronted through verbalization and challenged with reparative images of home, can memories of a positive self overcome the pain of past experiences and cultural rejection. While the cultural trauma of slavery can never truly disappear, Schreiber argues that memories that reconstruct a positive self, whether created by people, relationships, a physical place, or a concept, help Morrison's characters to establish subjectivity. A groundbreaking interdisciplinary work, Schreiber's book unites psychoanalytic, neurobiological, and social theories into a full and richly textured analysis of trauma and the possibility of healing in Morrison's novels.

How long is Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison?

Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison by Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber is 382 pages long, and a total of 96,264 words.

This makes it 129% the length of the average book. It also has 118% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 8 hours and 46 minutes to read Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison aloud.

What Reading Level is Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison?

Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison?

Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison by Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy Race, Trauma, and Home in the Novels of Toni Morrison by Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber on Amazon click the button below.