Trauma

There is a significant amount of trauma in Washuta’s life and many of her essays reflect on ways to accept and overcome it. Washuta is not saying that the trauma will ever really go away, but she does show the reader that one can find ways to continue on living after it.

First, it is important to understand the type of trauma Washuta faced throughout her life to get a better picture of her perspective. Much of Washuta’s pain comes from abusive boyfriends. This is because a lot of her self-worth is tied to her love of others. This is something that Washuta admits a few times throughout the essays. This means that she feels that her trauma is caused by her bad mistakes. The reader can see this in the way she thinks about Carl. During the essay titled “The Spirit Cabinet” Washuta spends a...