title: Inscribing traumatic experience: Allusion and satire in poetry

authors: Rose, Brittany Melinda

abstract: That rape trauma is unspeakable is a damaging myth for those who experience sexual assault. The work of poets Pascale Petit, Fiona Benson, Vanessa Place and Patricia Lockwood showcases the broad range of strategies that women can employ in poetry to speak about rape and rape trauma within a rape culture. This thesis asserts that poetry is a particularly effective mode through which to express, possibly convey, and definitely inscribe the traumatic experience.

One aspect of the difficulty of speaking or writing about rape is the constraints of language, the grammatical bind of subject and object; the impossibility of the phrase “When I was raped,” as though “I” was the one actively making decisions. What makes it difficult is the bitterness of the phrases “victim” and “survivor”, particularly given these labels apply directly to the event itself, rather than the aftermath in which this thesis is interested. Thus, the use of phrases with high lexical density such as “those who have experienced rape,” or the neologism “endurer” which turns the verb into noun.

This thesis begins with reference to the body of theoretical and scientific knowledge which asserts a connection between mind, body and self in the experience of trauma, and draws attention to the social framework within which rape poetry is written. Throughout, there is a discussion of the personal biography of the studied poets, and the ways in which raped bodies speak through fragmented, figurative and imagery-rich language. In this thesis, it is not the event of rape itself that is of interest, rather the experience of subsequent trauma which seeps into the mind and body of a rape victimised woman, the wounded body.

As a literary device, the wound as metaphor for pain and trauma is well established. Chapter One extends the wound image in order to explore the distancing effect of allusion employed by Pascale Petit in The Wounded Deer: Fourteen poems after Frida Kahlo, and Fiona Benson’s Vertigo & Ghost. While Petit relies on the biographical detail of Frida Kahlo to create an analogous inscription of the experience of trauma, Benson draws on mythological allegory to convey the specific experience of rape trauma, and the fear that trauma endurers embody in the wake of such an event. In continuing the wound imagery, Petit’s approach is considered comparable with the idea of the callous as there is a thick layer of hardened skin between writer and audience. In the callous approach to writing the rape experience, Petit opts for a masking of the personal, while Benson’s approach is categorised as one that blisters after the burn—it is confessional. Throughout this chapter, and the thesis as a whole, there is an exploration of the ways in which poetry can mimic the disruption to temporality which is experienced during a trauma flashback, and the ways in which sensory-rich imagery is bound to any expression of the experience.

Chapter Two surveys the landscape in which we laugh at rape. From the misogynist, to the feminist, the rape joke acts a site of subversion, particularly for poets. Rape culture is explored in reference to popular culture and stand up comedy, before a critical lens is applied to a close reading of the symbolic violence inherent in the format and content of rape jokes in Vanessa Place’s You Had To Be There: Rape Jokes. The internet, and online culture is an ever present thread in the work of Place (as this is where she drew her material from), and in Patricia Lockwood’s Rape Joke. The ways in which rape culture at large plays into personal and individual confession or disclosure of rape is evident in the responses to Lockwood’s “viral” Rape Joke poem, as well as in the content itself where the damaging psychological impact of victim blaming is evident. While Lockwood’s tone lends itself to satirising victim blaming, it also exists within the framework whereby women who are raped are subsequently silenced and disbelieved, complicating notions of subversion and perpetuation of the patriarchy. The voice of the patriarchy is illustrated throughout Place’s onslaught of hate speech rape jokes, and a discussion of the role of the reader/listener/audience in participating in making meaning of rape culture follows.

This thesis is closed with a sequence of poems entitled & therefore bodies. The sequence is written from the raped body using similar techniques of allusion and humour as discussed in reference to Petit, Benson, Place and Lockwood. The techniques are employed in order to inscribe a version of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of rape. The sequence of poems seeks to speak an individual rape trauma as experienced amongst misogynistic social messaging in the context of contemporary New Zealand rape culture.

text: Inscribing traumatic experience: Allusion and satire in poetry That rape trauma is unspeakable is a damaging myth for those who experience sexual assault. The work of poets Pascale Petit, Fiona Benson, Vanessa Place and Patricia Lockwood showcases the broad range of strategies that women can employ in poetry to speak about rape and rape trauma within a rape culture. This thesis asserts that poetry is a particularly effective mode through which to express, possibly convey, and definitely inscribe the traumatic experience.

One aspect of the difficulty of speaking or writing about rape is the constraints of language, the grammatical bind of subject and object; the impossibility of the phrase “When I was raped,” as though “I” was the one actively making decisions. What makes it difficult is the bitterness of the phrases “victim” and “survivor”, particularly given these labels apply directly to the event itself, rather than the aftermath in which this thesis is interested. Thus, the use of phrases with high lexical density such as “those who have experienced rape,” or the neologism “endurer” which turns the verb into noun.

This thesis begins with reference to the body of theoretical and scientific knowledge which asserts a connection between mind, body and self in the experience of trauma, and draws attention to the social framework within which rape poetry is written. Throughout, there is a discussion of the personal biography of the studied poets, and the ways in which raped bodies speak through fragmented, figurative and imagery-rich language. In this thesis, it is not the event of rape itself that is of interest, rather the experience of subsequent trauma which seeps into the mind and body of a rape victimised woman, the wounded body.

As a literary device, the wound as metaphor for pain and trauma is well established. Chapter One extends the wound image in order to explore the distancing effect of allusion employed by Pascale Petit in The Wounded Deer: Fourteen poems after Frida Kahlo, and Fiona Benson’s Vertigo & Ghost. While Petit relies on the biographical detail of Frida Kahlo to create an analogous inscription of the experience of trauma, Benson draws on mythological allegory to convey the specific experience of rape trauma, and the fear that trauma endurers embody in the wake of such an event. In continuing the wound imagery, Petit’s approach is considered comparable with the idea of the callous as there is a thick layer of hardened skin between writer and audience. In the callous approach to writing the rape experience, Petit opts for a masking of the personal, while Benson’s approach is categorised as one that blisters after the burn—it is confessional. Throughout this chapter, and the thesis as a whole, there is an exploration of the ways in which poetry can mimic the disruption to temporality which is experienced during a trauma flashback, and the ways in which sensory-rich imagery is bound to any expression of the experience.

Chapter Two surveys the landscape in which we laugh at rape. From the misogynist, to the feminist, the rape joke acts a site of subversion, particularly for poets. Rape culture is explored in reference to popular culture and stand up comedy, before a critical lens is applied to a close reading of the symbolic violence inherent in the format and content of rape jokes in Vanessa Place’s You Had To Be There: Rape Jokes. The internet, and online culture is an ever present thread in the work of Place (as this is where she drew her material from), and in Patricia Lockwood’s Rape Joke. The ways in which rape culture at large plays into personal and individual confession or disclosure of rape is evident in the responses to Lockwood’s “viral” Rape Joke poem, as well as in the content itself where the damaging psychological impact of victim blaming is evident. While Lockwood’s tone lends itself to satirising victim blaming, it also exists within the framework whereby women who are raped are subsequently silenced and disbelieved, complicating notions of subversion and perpetuation of the patriarchy. The voice of the patriarchy is illustrated throughout Place’s onslaught of hate speech rape jokes, and a discussion of the role of the reader/listener/audience in participating in making meaning of rape culture follows.

This thesis is closed with a sequence of poems entitled & therefore bodies. The sequence is written from the raped body using similar techniques of allusion and humour as discussed in reference to Petit, Benson, Place and Lockwood. The techniques are employed in order to inscribe a version of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of rape. The sequence of poems seeks to speak an individual rape trauma as experienced amongst misogynistic social messaging in the context of contemporary New Zealand rape culture.

year: 2021

title: Workplace bullying in New Zealand: A survey of employee perceptions and attitudes

authors: O’Driscoll, Michael P.

subjects: coping

abstract: Bullying at work, a severe form of anti-social behaviour, has become an issue of major concern to workers, organisations, unions and governments. It has also received considerable attention in organisational behaviour and human resource management research over the past 20+ years. Research has been conducted on the prevalence of bullying at work and factors which contribute to bullying, but less attention has been accorded to personal coping with bullying and organisational-level responses to counteract bullying. The present paper reports findings from a survey of over 1700 employees of 36 organisations in New Zealand. We describe the reported incidence of bullying at work, along with relevant work attitudes and experiences, including psychological strain, ratings of subjective well-being, and levels of commitment to the organisation. Personal experience of bullying was reported by 17.8% of respondents, and was significantly correlated with higher levels of strain, reduced well-being, reduced commitment to their organisation, and lower self-rated performance. Personal coping strategies were generally unrelated to these outcomes. On the other hand, the perceived effectiveness of organisational efforts to deal with bullying was considered an important contributor to both the occurrence of bullying and reduced negative effects of bullying. Overall, our findings illustrate the importance of developing organisational-level strategies to reduce the incidence of bullying and to counteract its negative impact, rather than expecting individuals to develop personal strategies to cope with this problem.

text: Workplace bullying in New Zealand: A survey of employee perceptions and attitudes Bullying at work, a severe form of anti-social behaviour, has become an issue of major concern to workers, organisations, unions and governments. It has also received considerable attention in organisational behaviour and human resource management research over the past 20+ years. Research has been conducted on the prevalence of bullying at work and factors which contribute to bullying, but less attention has been accorded to personal coping with bullying and organisational-level responses to counteract bullying. The present paper reports findings from a survey of over 1700 employees of 36 organisations in New Zealand. We describe the reported incidence of bullying at work, along with relevant work attitudes and experiences, including psychological strain, ratings of subjective well-being, and levels of commitment to the organisation. Personal experience of bullying was reported by 17.8% of respondents, and was significantly correlated with higher levels of strain, reduced well-being, reduced commitment to their organisation, and lower self-rated performance. Personal coping strategies were generally unrelated to these outcomes. On the other hand, the perceived effectiveness of organisational efforts to deal with bullying was considered an important contributor to both the occurrence of bullying and reduced negative effects of bullying. Overall, our findings illustrate the importance of developing organisational-level strategies to reduce the incidence of bullying and to counteract its negative impact, rather than expecting individuals to develop personal strategies to cope with this problem.

year: 2011-11

title: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui

authors: Hiini, Anaha Te Wheoro

subjects: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui

abstract: Ko Ngāti Whakaue tētehi iwi ahurei o te waka o Te Arawa.  Ko tētehi taha ōna kei ngā tahataha o te kōroto moana o Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, i Waingaehe ki Waimihia.  Ko tētehi atu taha ōna kei te ūnga o te waka rongomaiwhiti o Te Arawa, arā ki Maketū.  
Kua whai mana a Ngāti Whakaue i ngā rautau e tū whakahīhī ai rātau hei iwi mana nui i ō rātau pūkenga me ō rātau pūmanawa kia mau tonu tō rātau Whakauetanga, tō rātau ahurea me ā rātau tikanga.   Ko tētehi pūkenga pēnei i te āheinga ki te whakairo i te kupu rōreka, ki te tuitui i te kōrero i whakaputaina ai te kōrero ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’.  He mea whakapuaki te kōrero rā e iwi kē ki te whakanui i ngā pūkōrero o ngā paepae o Te Arawa, ka mutu, koirā hoki tētehi pūkenga i hau ai te rongo o Ngāti Whakaue.  
Nā, ko te pūkenga e kōrerohia nei, ko te reo o Ngāti Whakaue.  Ko tōna oranga tonutanga te kaupapa matua o tēnei tuhinga e rangahaua ana i te putanga o te kōrero a tētehi o ngā koroua matatau o te iwi i te tau 1992, arā a Hamuera Mitchell, nāna tonu nei i whakapuaki ‘Ka mate te reo o Ngāti Whakaue ā te tekau tau’.  

Nō reira, he whakatewhatewhahanga tēnei tuhinga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue o tua, o mohoa noa nei hoki kia mōhiotia ai te oranga, te matenga haeretanga rānei o te reo o te iwi, o ngā hapū, o te hapori, o te kāinga o nāianei, kia tau hoki mehemea āe rānei kua whai hua ngā rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue ki te whakarauora i tōna ake reo, ā, ka aha te iwi e anga whakamua ai.  Ka mātaitia te āhua o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue kia mōhiotia mehemea i tika tā Hamera Mitchell i kī ai i te tau 1992, karekau rānei, mehemea rānei he wero kē nāna kia kaua e tukuna e te iwi o Ngāti Whakaue tō rātau reo kia mate.

Ko te tikanga rangahau Pākehā, ko te tikanga rangahau Māori, me ngā tikanga ako reo ka kaha mātaitia i tēnei tuhinga kia tika ai te kohinga o ngā raraunga o tēnei momo rangahau, ngā tikanga matatika a te wānanga, ngā tukanga tātari me te whakahōrapatanga atu i ngā whakataunga o te rangahau.  

Hei āpiti atu, ka kōrerohia ngā kaupapa mātauranga a Ngāti Whakaue, tae noa atu ki ngā tini kaupapa whakarauora reo a te iwi kua whakahaerehia mai i te tau 2005 ki ēnei rangi tonu nei mō te oranga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue te take e anga tōtika atu ai ki te wetenga o te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i whakahaerehia ai i ngā tau 2013 ki te tau 2017 i kitea ai ōna pikinga, ōna hekenga, ōna ngoikoretanga me ōna hua.  

Heoi anō, hei whaiwhai noa ake i te rautaki o mua nei, ko ngā mātātuhi kua mahue iho rā, ko te korenga o ngā arotakenga, ko te korenga o ngā pūrongo, ko te korenga o ētehi taunakitanga ā-tuhi nei, ko te korenga o tētehi aha kē atu rānei kia kitea he hua, he pikinga, he hekenga, he aha rānei.  Ahakoa tērā raru, nā te kitenga me te rongotanga o te pikinga haeretanga o te āhua o te reo, nā ngā kōrero ā-waha me ngā kauhau a ētehi mō ngā hua i puta ai i te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i mana ai te whakahaumanutanga o te reo o ngā paepae o te iwi.

Nā te mea ko te reo Māori te remurere o te kaituhi nei, kua tekau mā waru tau ia e whai ana i te kaupapa i a ia e whakaako ana, i a ia e wānanga ana, i a ia hoki e whakapau kaha ana ki te whakaora anō i te reo Māori, kua whakaritea e ia tētehi rautaki reo hou e toru tekau tau te roa hei kōkiri mā te iwi e ora rawa atu anō ai te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, e whai hua anō ai hoki te whakapuakitanga o te kōrero rā ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’, hei tohu whakanui i ngā pūkenga kōrero o te iwi.

E ai ki te kōrero, ‘he tīmohea kua pakari’.  Nā roto i te āta rangahaua o te kaupapa nei i mōhio ai e ora tonu nei te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, heoi, kāore e pērā rawa te kaha o te oranga i te wā i a kui mā, i a koro mā.  Ahakoa te kōrero mō te matenga haeretanga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, nā ngā kaupapa whakaora reo a te iwi i ngā tau i piki anō ai te oranga o te reo, ka mutu, mā te whakahaerenga tonutanga o ngā wānanga nei e ora tonu anō ai te reo.

text: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui Ko Ngāti Whakaue tētehi iwi ahurei o te waka o Te Arawa.  Ko tētehi taha ōna kei ngā tahataha o te kōroto moana o Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, i Waingaehe ki Waimihia.  Ko tētehi atu taha ōna kei te ūnga o te waka rongomaiwhiti o Te Arawa, arā ki Maketū.  
Kua whai mana a Ngāti Whakaue i ngā rautau e tū whakahīhī ai rātau hei iwi mana nui i ō rātau pūkenga me ō rātau pūmanawa kia mau tonu tō rātau Whakauetanga, tō rātau ahurea me ā rātau tikanga.   Ko tētehi pūkenga pēnei i te āheinga ki te whakairo i te kupu rōreka, ki te tuitui i te kōrero i whakaputaina ai te kōrero ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’.  He mea whakapuaki te kōrero rā e iwi kē ki te whakanui i ngā pūkōrero o ngā paepae o Te Arawa, ka mutu, koirā hoki tētehi pūkenga i hau ai te rongo o Ngāti Whakaue.  
Nā, ko te pūkenga e kōrerohia nei, ko te reo o Ngāti Whakaue.  Ko tōna oranga tonutanga te kaupapa matua o tēnei tuhinga e rangahaua ana i te putanga o te kōrero a tētehi o ngā koroua matatau o te iwi i te tau 1992, arā a Hamuera Mitchell, nāna tonu nei i whakapuaki ‘Ka mate te reo o Ngāti Whakaue ā te tekau tau’.  

Nō reira, he whakatewhatewhahanga tēnei tuhinga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue o tua, o mohoa noa nei hoki kia mōhiotia ai te oranga, te matenga haeretanga rānei o te reo o te iwi, o ngā hapū, o te hapori, o te kāinga o nāianei, kia tau hoki mehemea āe rānei kua whai hua ngā rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue ki te whakarauora i tōna ake reo, ā, ka aha te iwi e anga whakamua ai.  Ka mātaitia te āhua o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue kia mōhiotia mehemea i tika tā Hamera Mitchell i kī ai i te tau 1992, karekau rānei, mehemea rānei he wero kē nāna kia kaua e tukuna e te iwi o Ngāti Whakaue tō rātau reo kia mate.

Ko te tikanga rangahau Pākehā, ko te tikanga rangahau Māori, me ngā tikanga ako reo ka kaha mātaitia i tēnei tuhinga kia tika ai te kohinga o ngā raraunga o tēnei momo rangahau, ngā tikanga matatika a te wānanga, ngā tukanga tātari me te whakahōrapatanga atu i ngā whakataunga o te rangahau.  

Hei āpiti atu, ka kōrerohia ngā kaupapa mātauranga a Ngāti Whakaue, tae noa atu ki ngā tini kaupapa whakarauora reo a te iwi kua whakahaerehia mai i te tau 2005 ki ēnei rangi tonu nei mō te oranga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue te take e anga tōtika atu ai ki te wetenga o te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i whakahaerehia ai i ngā tau 2013 ki te tau 2017 i kitea ai ōna pikinga, ōna hekenga, ōna ngoikoretanga me ōna hua.  

Heoi anō, hei whaiwhai noa ake i te rautaki o mua nei, ko ngā mātātuhi kua mahue iho rā, ko te korenga o ngā arotakenga, ko te korenga o ngā pūrongo, ko te korenga o ētehi taunakitanga ā-tuhi nei, ko te korenga o tētehi aha kē atu rānei kia kitea he hua, he pikinga, he hekenga, he aha rānei.  Ahakoa tērā raru, nā te kitenga me te rongotanga o te pikinga haeretanga o te āhua o te reo, nā ngā kōrero ā-waha me ngā kauhau a ētehi mō ngā hua i puta ai i te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i mana ai te whakahaumanutanga o te reo o ngā paepae o te iwi.

Nā te mea ko te reo Māori te remurere o te kaituhi nei, kua tekau mā waru tau ia e whai ana i te kaupapa i a ia e whakaako ana, i a ia e wānanga ana, i a ia hoki e whakapau kaha ana ki te whakaora anō i te reo Māori, kua whakaritea e ia tētehi rautaki reo hou e toru tekau tau te roa hei kōkiri mā te iwi e ora rawa atu anō ai te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, e whai hua anō ai hoki te whakapuakitanga o te kōrero rā ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’, hei tohu whakanui i ngā pūkenga kōrero o te iwi.

E ai ki te kōrero, ‘he tīmohea kua pakari’.  Nā roto i te āta rangahaua o te kaupapa nei i mōhio ai e ora tonu nei te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, heoi, kāore e pērā rawa te kaha o te oranga i te wā i a kui mā, i a koro mā.  Ahakoa te kōrero mō te matenga haeretanga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, nā ngā kaupapa whakaora reo a te iwi i ngā tau i piki anō ai te oranga o te reo, ka mutu, mā te whakahaerenga tonutanga o ngā wānanga nei e ora tonu anō ai te reo.

year: 2020