War Trauma and Depression in Abawi’s A Land of Permanent GoodByes

The civil war has distorted the peace of the Syrians and compelled them to flee from the country for survival. As refugees, they have to encounter considerable traumatic occurrences, including xenophobia, the hunger crisis, casualties, exploitation, and violence. To analyze the repercussions of these crises, this study recounts the effects of war trauma and depression on the psyche of the Syrian refugees and their battles to cope with them. As an Afghan-born American author and journalist, Atia Abawi has witnessed the atrocities of war as her native country was ravaged by the Soviet Union. Being a refugee herself, she has a strong affinity for refugees globally. A Land of Permanent GoodByes presents the cataclysmic traumatized encounters of Syrians and the geopolitics that have played a decisive role in transforming Syria into a Civil War. Thus, by integrating the notions of Caruth's theory of trauma and Herman's theory of coping mechanisms, the study demonstrates how the coping mechanism enables the trauma survivors to re-establish a connection with life by embracing their circumstances and giving voice to the wounds that frequently scream out. Furthermore, it enables the refugees to fight back and encounter the afflictions in constructive ways.