Faith and Fractures: Decolonizing Trauma Studies in Tahmima Anam’s The Good Muslim

Abstract

This study critiques the dominant Eurocentric trauma theories by situating Tahmima Anam’s The Good Muslim within a decolonized framework that foregrounds postwar Bangladesh's cultural and historical specificities. The novel explores the interplay of faith, secularism, and societal healing in the aftermath of the 1971 Liberation War, revealing diverse approaches to resilience and moral identity through the contrasting perspectives of Sohail and Maya. By analysing the radicalization of Sohail and the socialist activism of Maya, the paper examines how religion and modernity shape individual and collective responses to trauma. This research highlights the inadequacy of Eurocentric frameworks in addressing non-Western experiences of war trauma and advocates for the inclusion of spiritual and communal dimensions in trauma theory. Ultimately, the study situates The Good Muslim as a profound reflection on the nation’s struggle to reconcile the enduring scars of war with the complex dynamics of secularism, religion, and collective memory under the scanner of literary trauma theory.