Daphne Rose L&S Arts & Humanities
‘A Necessary Excavation’: Female Trauma from Tragedy to Autofiction
I will research the parallels between the novels of Vigdis Hjorth, Norwegian pioneer of autofiction (virkelighetslitteratur, lit. “reality fiction”) and the portrayal of women in Ancient Greek tragedy. How has the representation—and the cathartic function—of female trauma shifted from the literature of classical Athens to the contemporary autofiction movement? Through a close reading of novels Will and Testament and If Only, I will explore the universal themes employed by both Hjorth and the authors of Ancient Greece, as well as specific narrative similarities between Hjorth’s work and Greek drama. This project will expand on existing research into trauma theory and its applications to the literary form, autofiction studies, paradoxical representations of women in Athenian tragedy (The Medea, Agamemnon), and the value of literature for the individual and collective healing of trauma, combining varied understandings into one topic with critical relevance.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for generously funding my project. Successfully completing my summer research gave me the confidence I needed to pursue an honor's thesis. It was a privilege to participate in SURF 2025!