This article investigates the consequences of the civil war between Greek and Turkish Cypriots—such as dislocation, violence, and intergenerational trauma in Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees. Unlike conventional trauma narratives that emphasize perpetual suffering, this study explores how Shafak reconfigures trauma through the interconnectedness of human and non-human lives. Through the experiences of Ada, her mother Define, and her father Kostas, the novel reveals how gender shapes responses to trauma. Central to this reconfiguration is the fig tree, which serves as both a narrative witness and a mediator of healing. The fig tree’s survival through war and adaptation to a new environment, along with the resilience of the female characters, resonates with Vandana Shiva’s concept of post-victimology. This study builds on the ecofeminist theories of Vandana Shiva and Maria Mies, alongside the trauma theories of Cathy Caruth and Judith Herman. Unlike conventional trauma studies that focus primarily on human suffering, this article highlights nature’s role as an active participant in healing. In doing so, it introduces an ecological dimension to post-victimology. This analysis is particularly relevant in the 21st century, as wars continue to affect both human and non-human worlds. Ultimately, this research reinterprets Shafak’s novel as a radical intervention in histories of war and displacement—one that moves beyond victimhood toward resilience, reconciliation, and ecological interconnectedness.

Authors:
Mafruha Ferdous, American International University-Bangladesh, Bangladesh

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Mafruha Ferdous is an Associate Professor in English Literature with PhD from the University of Dhaka. Her research interests primarily lie in post colonialism, ecocriticism, ecofeminist and feminist theory.

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