Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self [Paperback]

Susan J. Brison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2003

On July 4, 1990, while on a morning walk in southern France, Susan Brison was attacked from behind, severely beaten, sexually assaulted, strangled to unconsciousness, and left for dead. She survived, but her world was destroyed. Her training as a philosopher could not help her make sense of things, and many of her fundamental assumptions about the nature of the self and the world it inhabits were shattered.

At once a personal narrative of recovery and a philosophical exploration of trauma, this book examines the undoing and remaking of a self in the aftermath of violence. It explores, from an interdisciplinary perspective, memory and truth, identity and self, autonomy and community. It offers imaginative access to the experience of a rape survivor as well as a reflective critique of a society in which women routinely fear and suffer sexual violence.

As Brison observes, trauma disrupts memory, severs past from present, and incapacitates the ability to envision a future. Yet the act of bearing witness, she argues, facilitates recovery by integrating the experience into the survivor's life's story. She also argues for the importance, as well as the hazards, of using first-person narratives in understanding not only trauma, but also larger philosophical questions about what we can know and how we should live.

Bravely and beautifully written, Aftermath is that rare book that is an illustration of its own arguments.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With a remarkable blend of intensity and logic, Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self speaks directly to the heart of anyone involved in the recovery of life after trauma. Author Susan Brison, professor of philosophy, shares her survival of rape and attempted murder with depth and passion; you'll witness a personal struggle to survive coupled with the broader issue of coping with sudden violence as an unavoidable fact of life. This book was 10 years in the making, and Brison wisely left her earlier, angrier writings as they originally appeared, followed by calmer, more logical (yet still deeply felt) musings. The change in tone is one survivors will be familiar with.

In her search, Brison discusses public reaction to trauma, and the prescription to forget and move on that is so widely recommended. She covers rape, certainly, but also touches on many other types of violence--the acts of war, murder, and abuse that follow us in the headlines. Philosophers from Wittgenstein to Locke are referenced, up to her final comments: "Recovery no longer seems like picking up the pieces of a shattered self. It's facing the fact that there was never a coherent self there to begin with." --Jill Lightner --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In this movingly written meditation on the effects violence has had on her life, Brison evokes the experience of trauma, both for those who seek to understand its power and for survivors who might find solace in her words. A philosophy professor at Dartmouth, Brison was taking a walk in the French countryside when she was brutally attacked, raped and left for dead. This slim volume is the result of years of recovery both the physical healing in the immediate aftermath and the emotional repairs necessary over the subsequent decade. Her training as a philosopher makes this an intellectually stimulating read, even as she successfully avoids the academic tone that could be off-putting to a wider audience. Brison's reflections on memory and forgetting and the manner in which traumatic events divide time and affect personality and relationships will resonate with anyone who has experienced great pain and suffering, as well as with the people who love and care for them. As she writes on the importance of telling the story, "control, repeatedly exercised, leads to greater control over the memories themselves, making them less intrusive and giving them the kind of meaning that enables them to be integrated into the rest of life." This is a brave and inspiring book and with its references to literature, film, psychology and philosophy, a thought-provoking one, too. (Jan.)Forecast: Brison's work goes far beyond typical memoirs of surviving dreadful circumstances. Booksellers should recommend it to anyone reeling from the events of September 11.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (October 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691115702
• ISBN-13: 978-0691115702
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Abuse & Self Defense > Rape

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and personal, February 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self. (Hardcover)

AFTERMATH is the story of an incredibly strong woman's struggle after surviving a horrific attack. ANYONE who has suffered a major trauma will find something they can relate to in Susan Brison's book. I experienced the death of my son in May of 2000, which, although certainly a different type of trauma than Brison's, created so many parallels as far as personal recovery. So many of the issues were the same. Example: Some of the most difficult things to deal with after trauma are the odd, often inappropriate, and even insensitive reactions one gets from friends, family and coworkers. Another is the fear of going out in public. Still another is the way one lives in what feels like a "bubble," suffering inside but putting on a face for the sake of everyone else. It is incredibly comforting to read about these feelings from someone else, and to realize that you are NOT alone. Thank you Susan Brison. You should be confident and proud. You not only brought yourself back up, you are now helping bring others up.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An assignment turning into a revelation, December 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self. (Hardcover)

I started reading this book as an assignment for my college philosophy class. Not knowing exactly what to expect I started reading tentativly. In her book, Brison immediatly attaches you to her suffering and recovery. She takes you on a philosophical voyage of self discovery and awareness. Any one who has been affected by a traumatic experience or knows someone who has should read this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding, February 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self. (Hardcover)

Brison's book is a beautifully written and extremely thoughtful account of surviving sexual violence. It raises and explores questions that would not even occur to people unacquainted with trauma. As a result, it is immensely helpful not only for her fellow survivors but also for their supporters.