The Generation Gap: An Expression of Trauma Theory in Literature (In the Case of in Times of Fading Light by Eugen Ruge)

Huynh Thi Mai Trinh * , & Le Duy Le Huu Nhat

* Correspondence: Huynh Thi Mai Trinh (email: trinhhtm@vhu.edu.vn)

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Received: 01 Apr 2024
Revised: 23 Sep 2024
Accepted: 05 Oct 2024
Published: 28 Nov 2025
DOI: 10.58810/vhujs.10.1.2025.805
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Huỳnh, T. T. M., & Le Huu Nhat, D. (2025). The Generation Gap: An Expression of Trauma Theory in Literature (In the Case of in Times of Fading Light by Eugen Ruge). Van Hien University Journal of Science 10(1), 1-12.
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Volume 10 - Issue 1 (2025)
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Abstract

This article studies the impact of the generation gap on the formation of trauma in literature through the lens of the novel In Times of Fading Light by Eugen Ruge. As a late exploration of German history in the 1950s, Ruge’s work offers readers a fresh perspective on a family narrative framed by the historical events that unfolded behind the Umnitzer's door. In particular, this research focuses on the influence of history, cultural conflicts, and memory discourses on the consciousness of those who have experienced them, aiming to uncover the causes of the generation gap. Additionally, the article examines identity nostalgia as a means of overcoming trauma by bridging the generational divide that occurs in literature and, more broadly, in social life.
Keywords: contemporary German literature, Eugene Ruge, generation gap, trauma in literature

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