Moving Toward Wholeness
Practical Strategies for Dealing with Identity Fragmentation, Inheritance, Trauma, Memories, and Healing
“But I remember”, says Bethany, a symbol of a fragmented nation and individual, burdened by inherited traumas. Her journey is not just one of survival but of reclaiming wholeness.
After the Cambridge Dictionary wholeness is “the quality of being or feeling complete and not divided or damaged”.
In Bethany Bettany Fred D'Aguiar weaves a profound narrative that explores the theme of psychological wholeness amid trauma, identity fragmentation, and healing. The text reflects on how psychological fragmentation arises from inherited traumas, with Bethany often bearing the emotional weight of her family's unresolved conflicts. D'Aguiar describes how each insult and act of violence Bethany endures builds her fragmented sense of self—her body becomes a puzzle of bruises and scars, symbolising how trauma etches itself into her being.
At its heart, Bethany Bettany is about the struggle for self-definition and the difficult road to healing. The novel suggests that wholeness comes not through erasing the past but through acknowledging and integrating those painful fragments. Bethany’s method of using imagination, storytelling, and language helps her process and reclaim power over her trauma. By the end, her journey toward healing is depicted as both a personal and communal act of reconstruction, symbolising hope for both the individual and the collective.
D’Aguiar’s lyrical prose and non-realist storytelling allow readers to explore the depths of psychological wounds and the power of creative expression as a tool for healing. This metaphorical overlap of the individual psyche and national identity suggests that personal healing mirrors the larger societal need for reconciliation and wholeness.
While the novel deals with these themes in the context of Guyana's colonial legacy, these challenges are universal. Many people today experience identity struggles, inherited family trauma, and the emotional burden of unresolved pasts.
Identity fragmentation occurs when a person feels pulled between different aspects of their self, often rooted in cultural, racial, or social identities. In a multicultural world, it’s common to feel torn between various influences—whether it’s different cultural expectations, conflicting personal values, or societal pressures.
Self-exploration through reflection on the different influences that make up our identity through journaling is proven to be a powerful tool to explore how each aspect contributes to who we are.
We must embrace the fact that identity is multifaceted. Avoiding the pressure to fit into a single, clear-cut category helps to understand that having a complex, fluid identity is normal.
Connecting with communities representing various parts of our identity can provide a sense of belonging and validation for our experiences.
In Bethany Bettany, the characters deal with generational trauma—pain and suffering passed down through their family history. This can happen in real life, too. Trauma from past generations, such as war, genocide, displacement, or systemic oppression, can leave emotional scars on descendants.
The first step to healing inherited trauma is recognising its presence. Consider the experiences of your ancestors and how those might affect your family’s behaviours, patterns, or emotional responses. Open dialogue with family members about your shared history. Talking about past traumas can create understanding and reduce the emotional burden. If previous generations didn’t talk about their trauma, you can be the one to open up. Breaking the silence around painful histories can prevent the trauma from being unconsciously passed down. Therapy can help you process inherited trauma. Approaches like trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are effective in dealing with the emotional legacy of past trauma.
Repressed or distorted memories can shape emotional patterns and behaviour, just as they do in Bethany Bethany. Unresolved past experiences often influence our present in ways we’re not consciously aware of, leading to internal conflicts or emotional distress.
Start by reflecting on moments in your life that evoke strong emotions—positive or negative. This may help surface repressed memories or unresolved feelings.
Dreams often reflect our subconscious thoughts. Keeping a dream journal can help you track recurring themes or symbols that might point to repressed issues. Mindfulness practices can increase your awareness of suppressed emotions or memories. Meditation can provide insight into how the past may be influencing your present emotions.
Loss and grief, whether related to people, cultural identity, or homeland, are central to the emotional and psychological weight carried by the characters in Bethany Bethany. Losses in life can create long-lasting emotional pain, but there are ways to heal and find resilience.
Practical Steps:
Acknowledge Your Losses: permit yourself to feel the full extent of your grief. Suppressing grief only prolongs the healing process.
Express Your Emotions: Find an outlet for your emotions—writing, art, or talking to someone you trust. Expressing grief rather than hiding it is essential to healing.
Create Rituals of Remembrance: Create personal rituals to honour what you’ve lost. This could be a memorial, a dedicated space, or a day of reflection. Honouring the loss helps provide closure.
Healing, both in Bethany Bettany and in real life, involves the difficult but necessary task of integrating the past into the present. This is a process of accepting painful histories and experiences without letting them define your future.
Reflect on your past experiences, but focus on how they have shaped your strengths and resilience. You are more than your past, and your story is still being written.
Practice forgiveness—toward others and yourself. Holding onto guilt or resentment keeps you tethered to the past. Compassion allows you to heal.
Prioritise self-care throughout your healing journey. Emotional processing can be draining, so activities that promote well-being (like exercise, hobbies, or spending time in nature) are vital to recovery.
Healing is often easier when done in the community. Connect with people who understand and can support your journey toward emotional health.
The themes of Bethany Bettany—identity fragmentation, inherited trauma, repressed memories, and the search for healing—offer valuable lessons on the human experience. By confronting these issues directly and with practical strategies, we can begin the journey toward emotional wholeness. Healing is a gradual process that requires self-awareness, emotional expression, and a willingness to embrace all parts of our past and identity. Whether through therapy, community, or personal reflection, there is always a path toward integration and peace.
