“Terrorism” at Play

Authors

  • Ellen Buckhout
  • Margaret Soto

Abstract

Critical theories of vicarious trauma identify this psychic phenomenon as a reaction in the brain cortex to the emotional demand of hearing a traumatic survivor's experience or indirectly witnessing a traumatic incident through oral histories, images, articles, etc. E. Anne Kaplan claims, “Viewers of the media, like therapists working with trauma victims, are often vicariously traumatized” (Kaplan 21). The response to the Marathon bombing was front-page news for media throughout the nation, as well as the world, accompanied by graphic images and first-hand accounts depicting the blood and gore that ensued. These messages were far-reaching, and allowed people to understand and be affected by the event that otherwise would not have. The exhibit explores the idea that the way the United States public responded to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and referred to it as ‘terrorism’ inflicted an increased amount of vicarious trauma on countless people who followed coverage and media of the event. Through an analysis of the US response to and classification of the 2013 Boston Marathon as terrorism, paired with an examination of the work of E. Anne Kaplan, Judith Butler, and others, this exhibit claims it is important to examine vicarious trauma through the lens of the Boston bombing because it creates a platform for transformative witnessing and resulting damage. The paper will also examine how people recover from this trauma and move on, much like the community of Boston is in the process of doing.

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Published

2014-04-20

Issue

Section

Articles