Materialized Writing of Traumatic Memory: The Trauma Representation and Healing Function of the “Gift” Imagery in The Last Gift

Abstract

The expression and redemption of traumatic memory have always been significant topics in the fields of literary creation and research. The “gift” imagery in The Last Gift transcends the superficial connotation of traditional gift-giving, transforming into a material carrier of traumatic memory and a medium for healing. This paper employs trauma theory as its core framework to investigate the material anchoring of traumatic memory, elucidate the mediating function of the “gift” imagery in the transmission of individual and intergenerational trauma, and ultimately reveal the healing path through which the “gift” imagery facilitates the traumatized subject’s memory reconstruction and self-reconciliation. The study reveals that The Last Gift enriches the expressive dimensions of trauma literature and deepens reflections on the possibility of traumatic redemption by transforming ineffable traumatic memory into perceptible textual existence through the material symbol of the “gift”.