ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing ArtsISSN (Online): 2582-7472
Traumatic Mutism as Coping Mechanism: Dissociative Behaviour of Maya in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Chrisma S. Pearl 1 1 Research
Scholar, Research Department of English, St. Jerome’s College (Arts and
Science), Ananthanadarkudy, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar
University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli 627012, Tamil
Nadu, India 2 Professor,
Department of English and Centre for Research, St. Jerome’s College (Arts and
Science), Anathanadarkudy, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar
University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli 627012, Tamil
Nadu, India
1. INTRODUCTION In a world
that cannot stop talking, nobody would opt to stay mute even if given a chance.
It is in the human makeup to express his/her thoughts and feelings through
words (voice). In a normal setting, everybody is expected to speak unless a
person is naturally mute. But truth be told, there exists a considerable
population of people who have been bereaved of their voice owing to traumatic
experiences. Trauma can cause serious implications in the life of the
traumatised, of which mutism is one. In such cases, the victim who has the
natural ability to speak, stops speaking in all situations. This type of mutism
is identified as traumatic/psychogenic mutism and is a component of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Maya is presented as a rape victim in I
know Why the Caged Bird Sings, being subjected to the horror of incest at
the age of eight by her mother’s boyfriend. Unable to process the event, she
develops mutism in all settings. This article would investigate the case of
Maya as a traumatically muted child, thereby providing a better awareness of
trauma and its implications. Also, this paper, by using the interpretative
approach to research, attempts to understand the victims’ frame of mind and
their action by examining and interpreting a real-life character, Maya. It also
uses Betrayal Trauma theory from psychology, thus making the study
interdisciplinary Walsh
(2012). 2. Objectives of the Paper 1)
To
understand the psychology of an incest victim through a careful study of Maya’s
behaviour, during and after the abuse. 2)
To
serve as an eye-opener to the readers, by providing them a better awareness on
their perspectives and treatment of the victimised children. 3)
To
help the abuse survivors identify themselves with the character Maya, thereby
letting them know that they are not alone in their struggle, and assertively hold
on to a bright future. 4)
To
establish the role of literature in liberating both the writer (victim) and the
reader. 5)
To
analyse the ways in which this study could contribute to the blooming field of
psychoanalytic literature. 3. Research Problems or Questions 1)
How
does sexual assault impact the development of the character of Maya? 2)
What
are the psychological theories that can be correlated to Maya's ordeal of
trauma? 3)
What
are the techniques employed by Angelou to help Maya overcome the impediments
that she undergo in her life? By
examining each of the traumatic incidents Maya is involved in one at a time,
the article will also demonstrate how, with the support and friendship of
various characters, Maya is able to emerge as a bold and empowered woman. After
exploring the therapeutic process that Maya experiences, it goes on to record
the findings of the research Van
Der Kolk and Onno Van Der Hart (1995). 4. Power at Play – the Abuser’s Power with Silence The narrative of the rape account begins in
Chapter 11, where Maya and her brother Bailey had come from Stamps, Arkansas to
stay with their mother in St. Louis. Mr. Freeman, Mother’s boyfriend, was
living with her. Maya observes him to be a big and flabby Southerner. He seemed
harmless until one day he decides to take advantage of this little girl in the
absence of her mother. It is interesting to note that Maya feels “at home” (Angelou
(1984), 79) when he
held her closer to him. This little soul, which was already longing for a place
to belong, finds solace in Mr. Freeman’s arms. She was so enamoured with the
new feeling that this act offered, that she ends up wanting more. From a
psychological viewpoint, the child was not even aware of the abuse happening to
her, since she had not faced anything like this
earlier. Also, how could the child be aware that anybody close/familiar to her
could harm her? In this case, Mr. Freeman was a father figure to her. Could a
child expect hurt from her father? Maya was no exception. She not only likes
what Mr. Freeman was doing to her, but also fantasises about him being her
long-lost real father (79). While Mr. Freeman threatens that he will kill her
brother if she discloses to anybody what they did, she questions in her
childhood innocence, “What have we done? We?” (80). Thus, Mr. Freeman’s act was
not just a threat to Maya’s physical body, but it also served as a threat to
her childhood innocence Van Der
Bill (2022). The
victim's silence during the abuse encourages the abuser to continue their
behaviour. The abuse can continue when the victim remains silent, with no harm
to the perpetrator. Hope, who was born and raised in an apocalypse cult, says,
“Because of the nature of childhood abuse, the abuser has power with the
silence. When you lift the veil of silence, with that you lift the
inappropriate shame that the abuser puts on you, and he loses his power over
you” (Hope (2021), 19:03–19:32). In this novel, the abuser has
clearly had power over Maya’s silence. She remains silent about the act as Mr.
Freeman manipulates her into believing that she was in the wrong. The first
time he takes advantage of her, he makes her believe that she peed in the bed,
although she was quite sure that she did not. Although she is confused and she
wanted to confront him about it, she is also worried about the probability that
he might hate her for asking so. Maya is thus made to feel shameful for an act
she was innocent of. Also, this is the first secret that she ever had to keep
from Bailey. With the inclusion of physical contact into her world, her
relationship with Bailey now seemed growing apart. The child had so much
confused love with physical contact that she longs for Mr. Freeman to notice
her. She even feels hurt and lonely when
he stops talking to her for a few months after this act. Thus, she was made to
feel punished and guilty for wanting ‘love’. This was again an added advantage
to Mr. Freeman who attempts to abuse her for the third time, all the while
threatening to kill her if she screams, and to kill Bailey if she tells it out.
Survivors' silence may be significantly impacted by shame. Survivors could
think they contributed to or were at blame for the abuse. Additionally,
individuals could feel humiliated or ashamed for being unable to defend
themselves. 5. Betrayal Blindness as Coping Mechanism It was only during this third attempt that
Maya realises that something is wrong. Although she could not completely
comprehend the act as to why Mr. Freeman wanted to kill her or her brother, she
had developed a visible dislike towards it by then. She tries to resist him
this time but in vain: “The act of rape on an eight-year-old body is a matter
of the needle giving because the camel can’t. The child gives, because the body
can, and the mind of the violator cannot” (84). Mr. Freeman continues to both
manipulate and threaten her, at the same time: “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Ritie. I didn’t mean it. But don’t you tell … Remember,
don’t you tell a soul” (85). He also asks her to “act natural” (85) following
this incident, which is oxymoronic in itself.
Thankfully, Maya’s family finally comes to know about the rape when she falls
sick after this incident. The scene shifts from the hospital to a courtroom
where Maya is brought face to face with the accused. This was the second
instance after the abuse where ‘silence’ comes into play. The readers could
find the dilemma of the victim in accepting the fault of the accused. This type
of behaviour is quite common in cases of incest trauma. Jennifer Freyd, a psychologist, introduces a concept called
“Betrayal Trauma Theory” to explain such effects of incest trauma. It helps us
understand why a child chooses not to disclose all the details involved in the
rape. Unlike any other cases of rape, incest involves attachment endangerment,
which makes it difficult for the victim to acknowledge the act. Under these
conditions, the victims are either oblivious that they are being abused or they
would defend the abuse or even take the blame. In extreme circumstances,
victims frequently have little to no recollection of the abuse, leading to
betrayal blindness. Betrayal blindness could cause the victim to deny the
truth, or to fully engage with reality, in a fear that the information they
provide could threaten their relationship with the abuser Lawson
(2022). Maya finds “silence” as a cocoon that could
keep her from developing any hateful thoughts against Mr. Freeman. Although she
hates him for what he has done to her, she does not want to lose him at the
same time. In this love-hate dilemma, it is not just her words that are
silenced, but also her ability to “think” for herself. Also, she is afraid that
she is at the risk of losing her relationship with her family, especially her brother
Bailey if she discloses the truth. In her innocence, she believes that she had
a part in letting the abuse happen to her and that she is to be blamed as well.
Her thoughts run to an extreme where she equates herself to the harlot in the
Bible: “… because she responded warmly to those brief moments of physical
intimacy, Ritie fully expects to be punished as a
biblical harlot” (Henke (2005), 112).
Thus, the brief silence that lingered after the question was a result of all
these loaded irrational thoughts. “Marguerite, the stunned rape victim, is so
severely traumatized that she tries to keep the abuse a secret even from
herself since the only “means she has at her disposal are frank denial [ … ] and a legion of dissociative reactions” (Henke
(2005), 111). 6. Silence as a Self-defensive Wall When the lawyer repeats the question as to if
the accused had touched her before the occasion on which she claims to be
raped, everyone in the court except Mr. Freeman and Maya knew that the answer
had to be No. But Maya could not help but lie. She said No. The fact that she
was made to lie surges in her an instant hatred towards Mr. Freeman. Maya’s
psyche receives the next huge blow when she learns that Mr. Freeman was found
dead later that day. She believes that a man was dead because she lied. Out of her
overwhelming guilt, she decides to stop talking to people other than Bailey.
She feels that if she talked to anyone else that person might die too: “Just my
breath, carrying my words out, might poison people and they’d curl up and die
like the black fat slugs that only pretended. I had to stop talking” (93). She
learns to achieve what she calls the “perfect personal silence” (94). In the
first few weeks, her family accepted this behaviour as a post-rape,
post-hospital affliction. But as days went by, and as Maya refused to be the
child they knew, she was called impudent and her muteness, sullenness. For a
while, she was even punished for being so uppity that she would not speak. Fed
up with the grim presence of this constantly morose child, they finally send
Maya and her brother back to Stamps. It is no surprise to the readers that they
fail to understand the needs of a traumatised child. Kate Rose, a Sociologist,
puts it better. She says, “The gap between those suffering from traumatic
memory and those who are not is wide, and often survivors are blamed for behaviors that are determined by patterns neurologically
linked to trauma” (1). Thus, Maya had to “compensate for the failure of adult
care and protection with the only means at her disposal, an immature system of
psychological defenses” (Henke
(2005), 111).
While events like natural disasters, war and
genocide are “normal” traumatic events that attract the attention of the public,
rape and incest trauma “are private events, sometimes
known only to the victim and perpetrator” (Brown
(1991), 101). This
provides the answer for the commonly asked question to rape/incest survivors –
“Why did you not inform anyone when it happened?” It is a “secret trauma” (Brown
(1991), 101) as Diana
Russell calls it, or a “speechless terror” (Kolk and Hart 172) as van der Kolk
calls it. It is impossible to attract attention to the invisible. Often, it is
the little children who are subjected to this kind of trauma, and so it would
be difficult for them to process it. Such children develop a tendency to turn mute:
“Incest
translates into the unsayable which is all the more sayable by very virtue of
one’s muteness before it” (Henke
(2005), 117).
While Maya’s family mistakes her muteness to be sullenness, psychology calls
the same a ‘coping mechanism’. The survivor usually adopts some dissociative
behaviours to prevent themselves from literally dying from the emotional state
of too much trauma, due to an excess cortisol and adrenaline provoking a heart
attack. These dissociative behaviours include avoidance and numbing, through
which the survivors’ become strangers to themselves. Psychiatrist Salmona calls it an “emotional anesthesia”
(Rose (2020), 7)
for the survivors that will protect and relieve them. Maya enters a black and white world as she
steps into Stamps. She says that “the barrenness of Stamps was exactly what she
wanted, without will or consciousness” (96). She welcomes “the obscure lanes
and lonely bungalows set back deep in dirt yards” (96). In the process, she
becomes emotionally detached with purposelessness and low self-esteem doing
their part. She has not yet given up her decision to remain ‘mute’, and she
continues to practise her tactic of gobbling up all the sounds around her.
Initially, her unwillingness to talk was accepted by people except for Momma
and Uncle Willie as a natural outgrowth of a reluctant return to the South.
Little did they know that Maya’s little heart has now been hardened, by making
itself a wall of protective silence as a self-defense
mechanism. It was the survivor’s way of sending a message that she does not
want to be vulnerable again. Thus, these self-made walls can serve both
protective as well as destructive. 7. Breaking the Silence - the Need for External Support However,
Maya’s first lifeline comes in the form of a woman named Mrs. Bertha Flowers.
In Maya’s words, she is the “aristocrat of Black Stamps” (101). It is Mrs.
Flowers who helps Maya to break out of her muteness by using her love for
literature as a catalyst. She plays a major role in Maya’s recovery. Herman
notes that because post-traumatic recovery must necessarily entail the
“empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections,” it is
understandable that contact with a single “caring, comforting person may be a
lifeline” (133). Words of affirmation were needed to break down the callousness
of Maya’s traumatised heart. Mrs. Flowers does this well in her very first
conversation with Maya by acknowledging her good performance in her school
written work. She adds the report of the teachers who have trouble getting her
talk in class. For the next few minutes, she elaborates on the importance of
language in communication. Here is her five-line mantra that changed Maya’s
perspective on speech: ‘Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper.
It takes the human voice to infuse them with
the shades of deeper meaning.’ (106) Mrs. Flowers
also suggests Maya to read books aloud. Not only does she suggest it, but she
also shows her how to do it. She opens the first page of A Tale of Two Cities, and Maya hears poetry for the first time in
her life. Her reading was a wonder in her ears. She bids her goodbye with a
note that she must hear her recite the next time. The way Mrs. Flowers treated
Maya made a positive impact on her. Maya, following Mrs. Flowers’ advice,
uttered the words from a poetry book and heard the poems come alive from her
own lips. The beauty of the poetry coming from her own lips broke the silence.
She began to speak again. And when she freed her voice, it grew powerful enough
to move and inspire millions. The contribution of Momma, through her bonding
with Maya is immense as she makes her realise her self-worth to a very large
extent. Maya recalls Momma’s response during her silent years: “Sister, Momma
don’t care what these people say, that you must be an idiot, a moron, ’cause you can’t talk. Momma don’t
care. Momma know that when you and the good Lord get
ready, you gon’ be a teacher” (Moore
(2003)). Maya also recalls the advantage her brain had in
memorizing poetry during those years: “I memorized poetry. I would test
myself, memorizing a conversation that went by when I wasn’t in it. I memorized
60 Shakespearean sonnets…. So, I believe that my brain reconstructed itself
during those years…. And so, I’ve been able to develop a memory quite unusual,
which has allowed me to learn languages, really quiet a few.” This
ability helped her career later on as a Professor and
an Orator. Thus, what was meant for evil, eventually turned out for her good. 8. Findings The victim’s ignorance of abuse brings disorientation to
him/her. In Maya’s case, she feels responsible for the abuse: “Any
gratification that the child is able to glean from the exploitative situation
becomes proof in her mind that she instigated and bears full responsibility for
the abuse” (Henke (2005), 112). This, of
course, is completely illogical. To avoid such unreasonable thoughts, it is
necessary to provide sex education to children. Also, it is important for the
parents and adults not to overlook an abuse, but to take efforts to learn the
various psychological treatments available for an abused child. This would
ensure a quick recovery of the victim. The coping mechanisms that the survivors use
to escape the world, eventually launch them into their purpose. In this case,
Maya uses her love for literature as a coping mechanism, spending time in vast
reading. No doubt, Maya turned out to be a renowned writer later, encouraged by
author James Baldwin and Robert Loomis. Traumatically muted children also
develop observation skills during their years of muteness. The ability to
notice and pay close attention to things, flavoured with a vivid imagination is
important for a writer. Maya’s detailed description of characters and incidents
in her books stands as an evidence for this. Sexually
traumatised children exhibit symptoms of dysphoria, characterised by “diminished
responsiveness to the external world” (Henke
(2005) , 112).
The world becomes black and white to them adjoined by a lack of motivation to
involve in the normal activities. They would be invisible strangers to their
own selves. Though physically alive, they feel dead emotionally. Episodes of
damage and pain numb their hearts to a stone: A stone is dead. You can find no
feeling in it. Talk to it; it will shed no tears of pity, though you recount to
it the saddest tales; no smiles will gladden it, though you should tell it the most happy story. It is dead; there is no consciousness in
it; prick it and it will not bleed; stab it and it cannot die, for it is dead
already. (Spurgeon (1862)) This heart
needs a replacement, not merely a softening. It takes somebody to take this
stony heart away and replace it with a heart of flesh. In Maya’s case, this
part was largely taken up successfully by Mrs. Bertha Flowers and Momma. The
victims only need a tiny spark to kindle the fire in them. And when the fire is
set, the rays flash towards every direction, radiating the locked up creative
energy. The best governance of the Nations can motivate the health-care
professionals to skilfully convert the disability into capacity building. Thus,
they find a greater purpose for their existence, making their colourless world
colourful. 9. Future Scope of Extension This study has been limited to the first book
of the seven autobiographies of Maya Angelou, which tells of her life only up
to the age of seventeen. Further research could be undertaken, taking into account the other books in the series as well.
This could give a clearer picture of the traces of traumatic mutism found in
the later part of her life. Also, a comparative study could be made,
identifying traumatised characters from other novels. Furthermore, the findings
of this research can be experimented and applied in real-life scenarios, thus
adding value to the overall body of psychoanalytic literature. 10. Conclusion Traumatic
mutism is a victim’s way of expressing his/her need for time and space to heal.
It should neither be overlooked, nor be criticised. Just as any other physical
impairment, abuse must be viewed and treated as an emotional impairment.
Forcing a muted child to speak will only cause more damage to the victim.
Instead, a gentle approach towards the issue will help the victim regain the
confidence. The victims deserve to live a better life, pushing away the thick
darkness that enclouds them. Writing can help as a tool for healing, allowing
the victim to vent her repressed emotions down. With proper counselling and
support, the victim could evolve from being hardened to being strengthened.
When the victim finally begins to speak, the world would be taken aback by
his/her strength. Literature, especially novels can thus shed light on such neglected yet prevalent aspects of trauma. By heightening the awareness, it can also transform society by helping people understand and treat the victims better. They can thus help formulate more adequate detection, prevention, and healing from the devastating effects of incest and sexual violence.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS None. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS None. REFERENCES Angelou, M. (1984). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Virago Press. Brown, L. S. (1991). Not Outside the Range : One Feminist Perspective on Psychic Trauma. Trauma : Explorations in Memory, edited by Cathy Caruth (1995), The John Hopkins University Press, 2715 North Charles Street, 100–112. Henke, S. A. (2005). Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird” as Trauma Narrative. Bloom's Modern Critical Views : Maya Angelou - New Edition, Edited by Harold Bloom (2009), Infobase Publishing, 107–120. Hope (2021, August 29). “I Grew Up in a Cult.” Uploaded by LADbible TV. YouTube. Lawson, D. M. (2022, July 19). “Understanding and Treating Survivors of Incest.” Counseling Today, The American Counseling Association. Moore, L. (2003, April 1). “Growing up Maya Angelou.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution. Rose, K. (2020). Sexual Violence, Traumatic Memory, and Speculative Fiction as Action. Dignity : A Journal of Sexual Exploitation and Violence. 5(1), 5. Spurgeon, C. H. (1862, May 25). “The Stony Heart Removed.” The Spurgeon Center, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 8. Van Der Kolk, B. A., and Onno Van Der Hart (1995). “The Intrusive Past : The Flexibility of Memory and the Engraving of Trauma.” Trauma : Explorations in Memory, edited by Cathy Caruth (1995), The John Hopkins University Press,158–182. Van Der Bill, B. (2022, April 15). “Why Do Survivors Stay Silent about Being Abused ?” Psych Central, Psych Central. Walsh, S. (2012). God Loves Broken People : and Those Who Pretend They're Not. Thomas Nelson.
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