Ecological Unconscious, Animals and Psychological Trauma in Monique Roffey’s Archipelago

Monique Roffey is a Trinidadian-born award winning writer who has produced a number of famous novels and a memoir. In her recent novel, Archipelago (2012), issues on redemption, loss of hope and healing were highlighted in the wake of a devastating natural disaster that swept across the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Life was a complete change for the chief protagonist, Gavin Weald, as the catastrophic flood not only destroyed his home but also put great psychological strains which affected him and his family. In order to combat the distressing ordeal, Gavin and his daughter- alongside with their dog- decided to set sail and to make peace with the very ocean that caused the misfortune upon them. This research aims to validate the authenticity and importance nature plays in overcoming trauma that has been caused by the flood. In order to carry out this research, the concepts of ecological unconscious and dualism under the lenses of Eco-psychology by Theodore Roszak and Andy Fisher as well as trauma by Cathy Caruth will be employed in analysing how nature plays a pertinent role in healing trauma caused by the floods in this novel. This study aspires to explicate further the relationship between human and animals and how this union helps to overcome psychological disturbances experienced by the characters.