Colonial Trauma, State Violence, and the Ethics of Witnessing: A Postcolonial Trauma Reading of Mohammed Hanif's Rebel English Academy through Stef Craps' Theory
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines Mohammed Hanif's Rebel English Academy through the lens of Stef Craps' postcolonial trauma theory, arguing that the novel redefines trauma as a collective and historically embedded experience rooted in colonial legacies and perpetuated by postcolonial state violence. While mainstream trauma studies have traditionally privileged Eurocentric models centered on individual psychological suffering, Craps calls for a decolonized understanding of trauma that recognizes the histories of colonialism, political oppression, and structural violence experienced by formerly colonized societies. Drawing upon this theoretical intervention, the study explores how Hanif portrays trauma not as an isolated event but as an ongoing condition transmitted through authoritarian governance, linguistic domination, institutional repression, and collective memory. The novel demonstrates that the violence of the postcolonial Pakistani state cannot be understood independently of the colonial structures that continue to shape its political institutions, disciplinary mechanisms, and social hierarchies. Furthermore, the article investigates the relationship between witnessing and resistance, arguing that Hanif transforms marginalized voices into ethical witnesses who challenge official histories and expose the silences surrounding political persecution. Through its representation of memory, fear, resistance, and the enduring influence of colonial power, Rebel English Academy extends the boundaries of trauma beyond conventional Western paradigms and exemplifies the necessity of a postcolonial ethics of witnessing. By applying Craps' theoretical framework, this study contributes to the growing dialogue between postcolonial studies and trauma studies while offering a fresh critical perspective on contemporary Pakistani fiction. It also demonstrates how Hanif's novel reconceptualizes trauma as a political, cultural, and historical phenomenon inseparable from the unfinished project of decolonization.
Source: Social Prism
Authors: Khadija Afzal, Arshad Nawaz, Maryam Riasat
Institution: Government College University, Faisalabad
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7171978183