From Trauma to Queerness in Kavey Akbar’s Martyr!

Abstract

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! offers a profound exploration of trauma, queer identity, and cultural displacement through the experiences of Cyrus Shams, a queer Iranian-American poet navigating grief, addiction, and the search for meaning. This research examines how Akbar employs poetic prose, fragmented narrative, and symbolic motifs to convey the psychological and social dimensions of trauma and identity formation. By applying trauma theory, queer theory, and intersectionality, the study analyzes Cyrus’s struggles with parental loss, cultural expectations, and marginalization, highlighting the ways these experiences intersect to shape selfhood and resilience. The textual analysis demonstrates that Martyr! transcends conventional trauma narratives and queer storytelling by presenting nuanced, multifaceted characters and emphasizing the interplay of personal, cultural, and historical forces. Ultimately, the research illustrates how Akbar’s novel contributes to contemporary literary discourse, providing insight into the complexities of grief, identity, and the search for meaning in marginalized lives.