Psychological Trauma, “An Affliction of the Powerless”: A Narrative Study of Sex Trafficking Victims in Amita Trasi’s ‘The Color of Our Sky’

Psychological trauma ,  powerless, The Color of Our Sky, Judith Herman, sex trafficking.

Abstract

This paper investigates the representation of psychological trauma in the narrative by Amita Trasi, The Color of Our Sky, while focusing on the experiences of trafficked women through the lens of Judith Herman’s trauma theory. Quite central to this study is Herman’s assertion that “psychological trauma is an affliction of the powerless,” which is applied to the selected narrative. This statement is observed to resonate with Mukta’s character portrayed by Trasi i.e. a young girl sold into sexual slavery under the exploitative Devadasi tradition. Mukta’s suffering—characterized by her violation, along with her detachment, and identity loss is presented in the form of complex trauma: helplessness, isolation, and memory fragmentation. Trasi’s use of fragmentation within the narrative structure, the sensory recollections of Mukta’s memories, and dual timelines within the novel reflect the dissociative effects of trauma. This technique further reveals the silencing of victims of gendered violence. The novel presents the systematic disempowerment of women through generations in the form of sexual violence, trauma and manipulation. By situating personal trauma within systemic exploitation, Trasi’s work emphasizes on the psychological costs of trafficking while highlighting the redemptive role of narrative and human connection.