Gendered Trauma and Power Structures: A Feminist Post-Structuralism Analysis of Anna Burns' Milkman

Abstract

This paper explores gendered trauma and power structures in Anna Burns’ Milkman through a feminist post-structuralism lens. Set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the novel presents the experiences of the unnamed protagonist, “middle sister,” as she navigates a patriarchal society steeped in political and social tension. Through the protagonist's encounters with the predatory Milkman and the suffocating community surveillance, Burns highlights how gendered trauma is reinforced by rigid social norms and male-dominated power structures.Feminist post-structuralism allows for an analysis of how societal oppression, particularly gendered violence, shapes the protagonist’s fractured identity. Middle sister’s traumatic experiences are exacerbated by a culture of silence, suspicion, and victim-blaming, where women’s voices are marginalized. Burns’ use of language, such as the protagonist’s self-distancing terms like "maybe-boyfriend" and fragmented narrative style, reflects the protagonist's internal struggle to navigate this oppressive environment. Drawing on the works of theorists such as Sara Ahmed, Cathy Caruth, and Kai Erikson, this analysis demonstrates how Milkman critiques the gendered dynamics of power and trauma, exposing the societal mechanisms that sustain female subjugation. The novel underscores the complexities of living under patriarchal rule, where trauma is not only personal but deeply entrenched in the community's social fabric.