Date of Graduation
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts in English
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
English
Advisor/Mentor
Sparks, Leigh
Committee Member
McIntyre, Megan
Second Committee Member
Parry, Janine
Third Committee Member
Reeber, Joy
Abstract
This project examines memoirs and short narrative pieces written by incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women, specifically focusing on trauma experienced before incarceration. Through analysis of one anthology and two memoirs, this project addresses how writing can facilitate healing in justice-impacted women who have experienced physical and/or sexual trauma, looking at writing conducted inside or outside of the prison environment and writing conducted in a prison writing group or alone. Analysis of these three texts shows that writing, regardless of the environment conducted, can facilitate healing in incarcerated women who have experienced past trauma. The literary techniques employed by the authors and the structure of their narratives demonstrate their ability to heal. This thesis further calls for writing to be made more accessible to women within the prison environment.
Keywords
incarceration; incarcerated women; trauma; prison writing group
Citation
Hagedorn, M. (2024). Exploring Trauma in the Writing of Incarcerated Women. English Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/engluht/20
