Hayate Sotome
PhD in Philology
University of Tsukuba
Tsukuba, JAPAciaN
Hayate Sotome
PhD in Philology
University of Tsukuba
Tsukuba, JAPAciaN
Psychological Trauma and Stress Disorders in
Aka Morchiladze's Journey to Karabakh
Aka Morchiladze's novel Journey to Karabakh reflects the chaotic reality of the post-Soviet Caucasus. The novel is narrated in the first person and portrays the protagonist Gia Mikadze's experience and psychology during the war. The goal of this presentation is to read the novel within the context of trauma literature studies.
The protagonist embarks on a trip to Ganja, Azerbaijan, with his childhood friend Gigliko to purchase drugs. However, in the darkness of the night, they lose their way and accidentally end up in Karabakh, where the so-called Karabakh war is taking place. In Karabakh, Gia is first captured by the Azerbaijani army, but then the Armenian army attacks, and Gia, along with other Armenian prisoners, is freed from captivity. He thought he had been liberated but soon realized he was still a prisoner, this time of the Armenian army. Gia attempts to escape and, along with an Azerbaijani prisoner, manages to flee Karabakh and return to Tbilisi. However, once back home, he feels weak, lies in bed, and avoids talking to his family and friends, remaining silent (or unable to speak).
During his "journey" to Karabakh, the protagonist experiences several critical battles. In psychiatry, psychological damage resulting from traumatic events such as war, sexual violence, accidents, or natural disasters is referred to as ASD (Acute Stress Disorder) and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Symptoms of ASD and PTSD include flashbacks of the event, nightmares, loss of positive feelings, altered perception of reality, avoidance of objects that trigger memories of the event, insomnia, loss of concentration, and more. In the case of ASD, symptoms generally subside within a month after the traumatic event, while if symptoms persist beyond a month, it develops into PTSD. We do not know whether the protagonist of the novel experiences symptoms for more than a month, but he displays typical symptoms of ASD or PTSD. The direct experience of war in Karabakh has a profound impact on the protagonist's psychology, and in other words, the author skillfully depicts the psychological state of a person in the chaotic post-Soviet period. In the United States, the symptoms of PTSD drew significant attention after many Vietnam War veterans exhibited these symptoms. Therefore, within the context of psychological trauma literature and its study, post-Soviet Georgian literature occupies a significant place.
Keywords: Aka Morchiladze, Journey to Karabakh, psychological trauma, stress disorder.