JOURNAL ARTICLE
Keywords: trauma theory, victimhood, denial, agency, narrative identity, literary trauma studies
Abstract: This paper examines the refusal of victimhood in My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, focusing on the protagonist Vanessa Wye’s resistance to identifying as a victim of abuse. While dominant trauma theories emphasize recognition and acknowledgment as essential for recovery, this study addresses a critical gap by exploring whether denial can function as an adaptive response rather than a pathological one. Drawing on trauma theory and literary analysis, the paper analyzes Vanessa’s narrative voice, her interpretation of consent, and her rejection of externally imposed survivor identities. Through close textual reading, it argues that Vanessa’s refusal of victimhood is not merely repression but a strategy to preserve agency and maintain control over her self-definition. This challenges conventional models that equate healing with acceptance of victimhood. The findings suggest that trauma responses are more complex and varied than traditionally assumed, and that denial, in certain contexts, may serve as a mechanism of survival rather than failure. By rethinking denial within trauma discourse, the paper calls for more flexible frameworks that account for diverse survivor experiences.
Article Info: Received: 28 Apr 2026; Received in revised form: 25 May 2026; Accepted: 29 May 2026; Available online: 02 Jun 2026
DOI: 10.22161/ijeel.5.3.5
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