The Traumatic Foundation of Queer Identity in Pajtim Statovci’s Crossing

Abstract

Since trauma engenders instabilities, it has the potential to queer one’s identity. If there is no singular definition of queer —  a term that has taken multiple iterations since its emergence in the literary landscape —  then there is perhaps no consensus on how queer identity is fostered and formed. In recent literature, queerness is often positioned as an “other”, damaged identity that results from trauma rather than one that is the result of a natural, inevitable process or a positive, individual choice. Pajtim Statovci’s Crossing (2019) suggests that traumatic experiences might have an impact on one’s queer-identity formation. In the novel, what the protagonist, Bujar, imbibes from various traumatic experiences becomes indelibly a part of his queer identity. Bujar’s queer consciousness proceeds from trauma and tragedy. By relying on different facets of queer theory and trauma theory, this paper traces the influence of Bujar’s traumatic experiences on his identity and contends that trauma has the potential to denaturalize and queer one’s identity.

Spectrum, Volume 18, June 2023: 69-79