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TRACES OF TRAUMA: MEMORY, VIOLENCE, AND HAUNTING IN
A CURSE ON DOSTOEVSKY
D. Ashwini
PhD Resea ch Schola (F/T), Depa men o English
Pe iya Uni e si y Cen e o Pos g adua e & Resea ch S udies, Dha mapu i, Tamil Nadu, India
ashwini.dha [email protected]
D . P. Ki u hika
Assis an P o esso , Depa men o English
Pe iya Uni e si y Cen e o Pos g adua e & Resea ch S udies, Dha mapu i, Tamil Nadu, India
ki u [email protected]
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17283443
Abs ac
A iq Rahimi’s A Cu se on Dos oe sky (2011) c i ically in e wea es hemes o auma, iolence and
memo y wi hin he socio-poli ical backg ound o wa - o n A ghanis an. The book is abou Rassoul, a guy
who is ex emely a ec ed by Dos oe sky’s C ime and Punishmen as he igh s wi h he psychological
p ope ies o iolence and he mo al hea iness o his deeds. Th ough Rassoul’s jou ney, Rahimi lea ns abou
eminiscence and how p e ious auma can ha e a obus e ec on people. This s udy analyses he o ma ion
o auma in he no el, manipula ing he p o agonis ’s mind and shi ing his ision o eali y. This s udy
exploi s Ca hy Ca u h’s auma heo y and Judi h He man’s unde s andings on pos - auma ic s ess o
analyse how na a i e agmen a ion, silence, and epe i ion con ibu es o he symbol o auma. The
no el’s wis y na a i e and Rassoul’s in e nal igh s illus a e he las ing consequences o iolence and
mo al unce ain y.
Keywo ds: T auma, Memo y, Violence, Wa , Mo ali y, Psychology
In oduc ion
The amalgama ion o memo y, haun ing, and iolence makes o an ascina ing g oup o
s o ies coming om wa - o n a eas, whe e indi idual and g oup auma mix. A iq Rahimi is a
well-known A ghan-F ench w i e and ilmmake who w i es abou pain, e ugee, and iden i y
in he con ex o A ghanis an’s oubled pas . His c ea i e w i ings, o en in luenced by his
expe iences as a e ugee and his p o ound in es iga ion o poli ical and psychological subjec s,
p o ide hough ul insigh s in o he endu ing alues o wa and iolence. A Cu se on Dos oe sky
(2011) is a s ong eimagining o Fyodo Dos oe sky’s C ime and Punishmen ha mo es he
s o y’s mo al ques ions o he e ocious and chao ic se ing o A ghanis an du ing he ci il wa
o he 1990s.
This s udy examines he e ec s o auma wi hin he no el, inducing bo h indi idual and
collec i e memo y, and examines how Rassoul, he p o agonis , signi ies he challenges o a
agmen ed mind in a iolen socie y. As he scu les wi h he weigh o his ac s, shame, and a
ading sense o igh and w ong, he book uses na a i e agmen a ion, silen , and epe i ion o
show how auma can make people eel de ached om hemsel es. By placing Rassoul’s in e nal
con lic s agains he bigge con ex o A ghanis an’s socio-poli ical un es , Rahimi makes a
d ama ha ques ions he ine i able na u e o memo y, he weigh o his o y, and he emaining
e ec s o un esol ed bloodshed. This s udy analyses A Cu se on Dos oe sky h ough Ca hy
Ca u h’s auma heo y and Judi h He man’s iewpoin s on pos - auma ic s ess, exempli ying
how i no only e-explains Dos oe skian exis en ial dilemmas bu also pu poses as a p o ound
e lec ion on he las ing e ec s o wa .
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T auma and Memo y: A Haun ing Pas
Rassoul’s pain in A Cu se on Dos oe sky is con olu ely wo en h oughou he no el’s
s uc u e, conside ed by he equen con la ion o pas and p esen . Ca hy Ca u h sugges s ha
auma in udes linea empo ali y, c ea ing a s a e in which “ he pas is no simply le behind
bu con inues o inhabi he p esen ” (Ca u h 4). This display is appa en in Rassoul’s
psychological dis ess as he s ays incapable o escape he insis en spec e o his c ime. A e
killing Nana Alia, he is apped in a liminal ealm whe e his guil iness and he iolence o
wa - o n A ghanis an come oge he in a ne e -ending se ies o pain. The no el con eys his
messy empo ali y h ough Rassoul’s agmen ed hough s and epea ing memo ies: “Memo ies
su ge o wa d like wa es, o e lapping, d owning each o he , and ye e using o disappea ”
(Rahimi 78). His mind swings be ween he pas and he p esen , showing Ca u h’s claim ha
auma su i o s a e “caugh be ween he necessi y and he impossibili y o g asping he e en ”
(Ca u h 6).
Rassoul’s auma is made in e io by he iolence ha has occu ed in he pas a ound him.
His mee ings wi h Sophia, who signi ies bo h lo e and pain, exp ess how pe sonal auma is
connec ed o collec i e memo y. She ells him, “The e is no escape om he pas ; i clings o us
like dus in he s ee s” (Rahimi 102). In he same way, he Judge’s e i ying occu ence adds
o he hea y load o jus ice and engeance, which a e examples o he g ea e social and poli ical
ac o s ha keep iolence wo king. Rahimi’s wo k demons a es Ca u h’s concep ha auma
is “no loca able in he simple iolen o o iginal e en in an indi idual’s pas bu a he in he
way ha i s unassimila ed na u e e u ns o haun ” (Ca u h 4). Rassoul’s inabili y o p og ess
highligh s he p edic able essence o auma, whe ein his o y and memo y con inue as cons an
spec es o an un esol ed pas .
Violence and Mo al Disin eg a ion
In A Cu se on Dos oe sky, Rahimi displays a socie y whe e iolence is no only communal bu
also ecognized, making i ha d o ell he change be ween jus ice and e enge. Rassoul’s mo al
disas e , simila o Raskolniko ’s in Dos oe sky’s C ime and Punishmen , c ea es om his ac o
mu de , howe e i is s eng hened by he shakiness o A ghanis an’s wa - o n en i onmen . In
T auma and Reco e y, Judi h He man s uggles ha indi iduals who ha e su e ed auma
equen ly unde go a subs an ial dis up ion in hei sel -pe cep ion and mo al hones y,
esul ing in a se ies o sel -punishmen and isola ion. She p oclaims ha “ auma obli e a es he
ic im’s essen ial belie s ega ding he wo ld’s sa e y, li e’s signi icance, and o he s’ goodwill”
(He man 51). Rassoul’s g ie and mise y as he deals wi h his c ime in a lawless en i onmen
display how his mind is b eaking down. He says, “I he e is no law, hen wha is c ime?” Wha
is guil i he e is no jus ice? (Rahimi 132). His ailu e o dis inguish signi icance in his ac ions
exempli ies He man’s claim ha auma su i o s con end wi h sel -de ini ion in he absence o
sa e mo al amewo ks.
The no el says ha when he au ho ized and mo al s uc u es b eak down, pe sonal aul
becomes a pa o he chaos in socie y. Rassoul’s ongoing sel -blame and inne con lic illus a e
he way auma su i o s a ec guil , a concep He man e e s o as “a bu den o esponsibili y
ha ic ims canno elinquish, e en when he ci cums ances a e beyond hei con ol” (He man
189). His agony is no only psychological; i also indica es he uni e sal mo al decline o a na ion
expended by iolence. He says, “This ci y is ull o mu de e s, bu he only one who admi s i is
he one who wan s o be o gi en” (Rahimi 165). Rahimi uses Rassoul’s s uggle o
demons a ion how auma b eaks down bo h indi idual and g oup e hics, pa ing people s uck
in a ne e -ending cycle o mo al de e io a ion and exis en ial e o .
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Silence and he F agmen a ion o Sel
One o he mos s imula ing hings abou Rahimi’s w i ing in A Cu se on Dos oe sky is how
he uses peace and sha e ed con e sa ion o show he main cha ac e ’s b oken mind. Ca hy
Ca u h and Judi h He man, bo h auma heo is s, decla es how ha d i is o people who ha e
been h ough auma o alk abou wha occu ed o hem, bu hey do so om opposi e ideas
o iew. Ca u h heo izes ha auma exceeds conse a i e ep esen a ion, subsequen in a
pa adox whe e su i o s a e p esc ibed o e-expe ience he aw ul e en while concu en ly
w es ling wi h i s whole p ocessing. She asse s ha auma “is no me ely a dis o ion o eali y
bu an in insic la ency, an unassimila ed expe ience ha esis s na a i e closu e” (Ca u h 6).
This is unde s ood om Rassoul’s inabili y o e iden ly say how guil y and anxious he eels
inside, as shown by his accoun , “The wo ds escape me.” They mel away, like he meaning o
my own ac ions” (Rahimi 88). His smashed speeches and pe iods o silen shows Ca u h’s heo y
ha auma diso de s language and memo y, decei ing su i o s in a ne e -ending cycle o
con usion.
He man, on he con a y, heo izes silence as a ea u e o he dissocia i e esponse o
auma, when su i o s un as en om hei expe iences as an app oach o psychological sel -
p ese a ion. She sugges s ha “speechless e o ” p oduces a signi ican depa u e om bo h
he sel and socie y (He man 37). Rassoul’s ising sepa a ion shows his, as he hal s ha ing
meaning ul discussions wi h o he people because he can’ p omp his inne con lic . His silence
is a sign o how his wisdom o sel is alling apa , much like he diso de and disin eg a ion o
he wo ld a ound him. He no es, “E e y hing is in uins—houses, s ee s, jus ice, e en wo ds”
(Rahimi 142). Rahimi’s no el shows he ine abili y o auma by combining Ca u h’s no ion o
shocking epe i ion wi h He man’s idea o dissocia ion. I shows how silence and agmen a ion
can be bo h a symbol and a way o elling he s o y o psychological pain.
Conclusion
A iq Rahimi’s A Cu se on Dos oe sky is a o e whelming in es iga ion in o he e ec s o
auma, memo y, and he closu e o e hics inside he chaos o A ghanis an, which is cu en ly
expe iencing wa . In acco dance wi h Ca hy Ca u h’s concep ha auma pauses linea
empo ali y and ba les ull inco po a ion, he no el u ilizes Rassoul’s psychological a iabili y
o illus a e how pas iolence insis en ly in udes upon he cu en s a e o a ai s. I is a
eplica ion o he haun ing na u e o unse led auma ha Rassoul is incapable o ge pas his
c ime and ha his sel -na a ion is agmen ed. As an addi ional poin o no ice, Rahimi’s
po ayal o guil and sel -punishmen is eliable wi h Judi h He man’s disag eemen ha
auma su i o s s uggle wi h e hical in eg i y and sel -pe cep ion, pa icula ly in condi ions
ha a e lawless and o ce ul.
The no el’s use o silence and b oken language also exp ess how auma canno be pu in o
wo ds, which suppo s bo h Ca u h’s idea o h obbing epe i ion and He man’s idea o
de achmen as a way o su i e. Rassoul’s change in o isola ion and sel -doub e en ually
e lec s he la ge ailu e o social o de , sugges ing ha in a wo ld whe e jus ice and mo ali y
ha e dep ecia ed, indi idual shame al e s in o an ex ension o collec i e anguish. By combining
psychological dep h wi h pas iolence, Rahimi’s wo k is a splendid e lec ion on he long-
las ing e ec s o auma. I shows how memo y and haun ing al e bo h indi idual and g oup
iden i ies a e ba le.
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