WAR AND TRAUMA IN SINAN ANTOON'S NOVEL: THE CORPSE WASHER

Abstract

Iraqi-American writer Sinan Antoon's Arabic novel The Corpse Washer explores the profound psychological and cultural impacts of war on individuals and communities in post-2003 Iraq. Through the narrative of Jawad, a Shiite youth trained in the family tradition of corpse washing, Antoon examines trauma, iden- tity crisis, and the struggle for meaning amidst pervasive violence. The novel utilizes narrative techniques such as flashbacks, memory fragmentation, and symbolism to portray the disintegration of personal and collective identities. Drawing upon trauma theory and postcolonial perspectives, this study analyzes how prolonged exposure to war reshapes individual identity and social cohesion, highlighting Antoon's contri- bution to understanding postwar Iraqi society.