Intergenerational Trauma and Healing in Chika Unigwe's The Middle Daughter

This study examines representations of transgenerational trauma and healing strategies in Chika Unigwe's The Middle Daughter. The analysis of the novel pays critical attention to the intergenerational transmission of trauma within the mother-middle daughter relationship. Drawing on the tenets of Trauma Theory, the study reveals how silence, emotional repression, and culturally shaped parenting practices contribute to the psychological distress of the protagonist, Nani. Through a close investigation of characterization and events in the narrative, the paper shows how the often-overlooked role of the middle daughter affects emotional visibility and self-perception within the family, yielding to traumatic flashbacks. The analysis further demonstrates that unresolved maternal trauma and cultural expectations influence Nani's romantic and non-romantic relationships, shaping her vulnerability and internalized guilt. Finally, the study discusses Nani's path to healing, through narration, maternal agency, and personal autonomy, arguing that recovery begins with reclaiming one's story and voice. By closely reading the novel alongside the postulations of trauma scholars such as Judith Herman, Cathy Caruth, Marianne Hirsch, C. N. Van der Merwe, and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the research contributes to trauma studies in African literature by highlighting the psychological cost of inherited silence and the therapeutic import of emotional truth-telling.