Rutgers Expos Paper

The Worst Paradox In countless ways, experiencing trauma is a no-win situation; it is difficult if not impossible to benefit from such an experience. But how does trauma affect the current state of the victim? More importantly, how can we sympathize with victims of incomprehensible trauma? Leila Ahmed, Beth Loffreda, and Martha Stout with their respective works, On Becoming an Arab, Selections from Losing Matthew Shepard, and When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning it was Friday discuss the use of distancing in response to trauma in one’s past. Remarkably, human beings have developed the ability to distance themselves, or in some cases to dissociate, from the ordeal at the cost of loss of memory or even identity. There are times when this can be so extensive that hours, days or even years of one’s life can completely vanish along with the emotions and physical stimulations that compliment these memories. The absence of such emotions could potentially jeopardize the completeness of one’s identity along with the ability to create new memories and lasting relationships with others. Leila Ahmed, in her essay On Becoming an Arab, is forced to reflect on painful histories to cope with the loss of her Egyptian community; her identifications of harsh realities reflect anger towards those who made her ‘become an Arab’. As she journeys through history to resolve the loss, Ahmed distances herself to cope with the anger associated with her loss of community and ultimately deconstructs then reconstructs her identity. Likewise, Beth Loffreda also references individuals in her essay who have also experienced loss and distance themselves from it. Beth Loffreda’s essay, Selections from Losing Matthew Shepard, deals with the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual teenager from Laramie, Wyoming. Loffreda recapitulates the responses and reactions of those in and out of Laramie. But more in depth, Loffreda wonders if people nationwide paid more attention to Matthew’s