Exploring Marginality in On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: The Traumatic Letters from Queer Immigrants
Keywords:
Marginality, Trauma Studies, Queer Studies, Ocean VuongAbstract
Receiving several literary awards and nominations, Ocean Vuong’s semi-autobiographical novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (2019), explores the themes of race, gender, immigrants, and marginality through the layered hardships of the protagonists - a Vietnamese immigrant and his family in America. The novel has been highly acclaimed by readers for its reflection on profound societal challenges and realistic portrayal of trauma endured by the protagonists. In fact, the critique of trauma in the story has been mostly concentrated on a single dimension, necessitating a multidimensional study of trauma and gender issues. This study centers on the traumatization faced by the protagonist regarding alienation and queerness or homosexuality through the immigrant narratives. The objectives are to investigate the protagonist’s traumatization caused by his marginalized status in society, to observe the inheritance of intergenerational trauma processes, and to examine the contradiction between queer identity and social norms. This study relies mostly on textual analysis and evidence regarding trauma and queerness. The results show that Vuong’s novel critiques challenges and difficulties that marginalized groups encounter. Although American society has frequently been described as welcoming of immigrants and gender diversity, these Vietnamese characters are not truly embraced, indicating a lack of inclusivity.
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