“Things” and Recovery From Trauma in Joukhader’s A Map of Salt and Stars

Abstract

The present article explores the impact of “Things” on the healing journeys of the characters in Syrian American author Jennifer Zeynab Joukhader’s novel A Map of Salt and Stars (2018). It highlights the role of certain “Things” in Nour’s family’s healing process from the traumatic experiences of the Syrian war. The article also sheds light on the war’s reshaping of the objects and the individuals’ relationship with them. The objects that this article investigates are as varied as mundane utensils (a shattered plate), cherished souvenirs (Zahra’s bracelet), and even magical objects (Nour’s stone). Particularly, the article examines the establishment of the close association between the characters and these objects and the impact of this association on the family’s journey towards safety and recovery. For this reason, the present study is situated within the theoretical frameworks of the “Thing” theory and psychological trauma. This article argues that the close association that the characters establish with certain “Things” accompanies them during their grief and traumatic experiences, and subsequently initiates and facilitates their recovery.

Baba’s Death: Nour’s Nostalgic Voice in Zyen Joukhadar’s The Map of Salt and Stars

“…The setting of the apartment, in the wintertime, and pomegranates season. Things were shattered, and they started remembering the death their father, which caused Nour a trauma and a cultural shock later in the story (Louati et al, 2022). As the protagonist is having a trauma, however she embodies a feeling of a positive feeling especially while moving from Syria to New York.…”

“…She doesn't leave them anywhere'' (TMSS, 2018, p. 11). Any story of Nour includes remembering the past to return to their home (Louati et al, 2022).…”

“…Her first novel talks about nostalgia and how weather shapes the personality of the character. The story reports the life and the history of Nour who is a Syrian migrant moving between American and Syria without enough knowledge about her home country or any expertise to adapt to life there (Louati & Amrieh, 2022). Nour is a young Syrian American who returns to Homs, Syria to join a family gathering.…”