Trauma and Transcendence Trauma and Transcendence: A Study of Sita’s Emotional Resistance to Modern Life in Anita Desai’s Where Shall we go this Summer?

Abstract

This essay critically examines the emotional trauma and psychological resistance of Sita, the protagonist of Anita Desai’s Where Shall We Go This Summer?, through psychoanalytic and feminist literary perspectives. The novel, set in post-independence India, traces Sita’s profound sense of alienation within a patriarchal society, an emotionally unfulfilling marriage, and the burden of motherhood. Through qualitative textual analysis, this paper explores how Sita’s inner conflicts are shaped by modern urban life and how her fifth pregnancy symbolizing an existential crisis and emotional rebellion. Her retreat to the remote Manori Island is interpreted not simply as an escape but as a metaphorical return to the self—a space of introspection, confrontation, and healing. The study argues that Desai does not depict trauma as a moment of collapse but as an enduring psychological struggle rooted in neglect, disillusionment, and loss of identity. The research indicates that Sita’s transcendence is achieved through the acceptance of life’s contradictions, uncertainties, and emotional depth. The novel suggests that healing comes not from societal validation, but through silent resistance, emotional honesty, and embracing pain as part of the self. This analysis contributes to feminist discourse by emphasizing the quiet strength of internal transformation.