Traumatic History, Motherland, and Healing Narratives in the novel 'Who is My Mother?' (អ្នកណាជាម្ដាយខ្ញុំ) by Oum Sophany

Abstract

This research aims to analyze historical events that generate trauma among characters and the healing processes articulated through family relationships in Who is My Mother?, a Cambodian S.E.A. Write Award–winning novel by Oum Suphany. The findings reveal that the novel functions as a site of memory that expresses trauma across two critical historical periods: the Civil War (1972–1975) under the Lon Nol and Khmer Rouge regimes, and the national restoration era of the 1990s. The narrative unfolds through the experiences of the main characters—Sukha, Ked, and Ratha—who endure war-induced trauma through the loss of the “Mother,” symbolizing their separation from home and their land of birth. When the physical motherland is destroyed by war and fire, the characters are unable to return to their original spaces for self-healing. In response, an imagined motherland is reconstructed, shifting emotional attachment from physical territory to human relationships. This transformation is realized through the formation of new families that transcend biological bloodlines and are instead rooted in shared experiences and a common destiny. The creation of these alternative family structures functions as a healing mechanism, enabling the characters to recover from psychological trauma and to reclaim the deeper meanings of “home” and “mother.”