Consequences of Historical Trauma in Sofi Oksanen’s Purge

In this paper I introduce Sofi Oksanen, who is one of the most important writers in contemporary Finnish literature. Her novels have been translated into many languages and they have initiated interesting discussions in many countries. The aim of the paper is to introduce her most famous novel Purge as trauma fiction and to analyse the characteristics of this genre in the novel. To make the analysis more understandable, I also give a short summary about the main storyline of the book. I list the consequences of trauma based on the results of psychiatric research, and I give examples of how the symptoms caused by trauma are pictured in Purge. I write shortly about the phenomenon called shame of inferiority and the symbols Sofi Oksanen uses to discuss this feeling. Finally I give an extended view of violence and its causes, and I also mention, how violence influences society as a whole. Finally I discuss the possibilities of healing and the role of trauma fiction and Purge in this process.