Re-Dramatizing the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Representations of Trauma and Postmemory in Caryl Churchill's Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza (2009)

نوع المستند : المقالة الأصلية

المؤلف

An Assistant Professor of English Literature Women's College for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University

المستخلص

Caryl Churchill's Seven Jewish Children (2009) is a play that presents a non-Jewish and non-Western view of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. It emphasizes some beliefs and counter-beliefs regarding this conflict and shows how it is perceived within the Israeli community. Because of the state of 'counter acting- out' that the dramatist accentuates in this play, she has been severely attacked by many critics who regarded her as anti-Israeli and considered the play anti-Semitic. This paper emphasizes the representations of trauma and postmemory in Seven Jewish Children and underscores the collective trauma of some Jews who are afraid of the impact of their traumatic history and postmemories on their descendants. Moreover, it underscores the different strategies which these Jewish elders use to protect their children from the impacts of trauma and postmemory. Furthermore, it stresses the role of theatre as a counter-hegemonic mechanism that can deconstruct misconceptions and present a different version of history.

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