(Re) membering the Traumatized Other through Resurrecting the Dead in Dennis Scott’s An Echo in the Bone

Abstract

This paper examines the presence and impact of trauma in Dennis Scott’s An Echo in the Bone (1974). It discusses the traumatic effects of slavery and colonization on the individual and the society in Jamaica and the Caribbean. The action of the play takes place in Jamaica where people struggle against the oppression of European system of slavery and British colonial system. Scott retrieves the grievous memories of slavery, where the phrase ‘echo in the bone’ refers to racial memories of oppression and exploitation. Scott’s creativity appears through recalling cinematic flashbacks with concentric notions that depict the painful experiences of slaves and colonial policies. Recalling the continuous effects of trauma, which contemporary Jamaicans had been encountering since the history of slavery until the postcolonial era, are explored. The framework of the play’s action is provided by the Nine Night ceremony of the dead – a tradition that transcends the mourning manifestation of funeral traditions to glorify and liberate the dead person’s spirit. To this end, the researchers argue that recalling trauma through Jamaican tradition is a means of asserting that trauma is a heritage that was passed down through several generations. The researchers conclude that the play resurrects all the traumatic experiences of oppression and exploitation under the systems of slavery and colonialism to address the traumatic conditions encountered by the contemporary post-independence society in Jamaica.