Traditional trauma literature argues that stories about trauma be non-linear, fragmented, and recursive to represent a shattered mind. However, these studies focus solely on the adult experience Chen Tze-Yang argues that we cannot simply view a child’s psychological experience in the same way as an adult’s. Childhood exists as a unique developmental category which needs to be independently researched. 

By analysing both novels, the concept of the “Trauma Playground” develops. At first, mixing childhood play and trauma feels uncomfortable. However, Chen Tze-Yang argues that this is how a child’s reality is built. The child characters experience very real symptoms of trauma and use play to navigate this trauma. The paper displays play as so much more than a childlike distraction but as a survival technique. 

Across both books, this playfulness shows up in three ways:

• Inventing fun new words to communicate things that are otherwise unspeakable 

• Playing “hide-and-seek” with the reader by slowly revealing information
• Turning the physical architecture of the text into an interactive game.

The key takeaways?

• Play is not just a childish distraction; it is a coping tool that helps a traumatised child understand the world around them.
• For a traumatised child, play provides structure in a world which otherwise has none. 

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