«Noah's Ark» by Halyna Hordasevych: How Metaphor Reveals Trauma

The subject of the research in this article is a metaphor that reveals unresolved trauma. process metaphorization part shaping trauma narrative, which works as protective mechanism allows one not to talk about traumatic experience directly, but still it. purpose demonstrate how, fiction experiences, can seem like way give meaning events, instead highlights inability express personal experience. methodological basis studies, particular K. Carut, M. Wilkinson, B. Van der Kolk, Brewin, V. Williams. Literary studies by J. Anker and T. Grebeniuk were also productive for analysis problem. relevance study determinate need peculiarities particular, based on material literature Second World War. As result H. Hordasevych’s story “Noah’s Ark”, it was concluded text be category determines narrative features generates even when itself has already ended. Ark” compares life Father Hilary’s family during occupation Old Testament story. War depicted natural disaster (flood) punishment sins. priest’s house, where representatives various national social groups gather, likened an ark, Ukraine’s independence should become rainbow after flood. At same time, Noah’s ark incompleteness — narrator stops before end flood, refusing fact salvation did happen. This marks loss family, group, environment. That is, war managed embodied coherent arrival Soviet power its consequences left out text. A frozen begin, discrepancy between known pretext reality prevents from continuing verbalizing existence trauma, silenced author unable translate into motive silence consequence accentuated thematization