Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a Site of Intergenerational Trauma in Farzana Doctor’s Seven

This paper examines Farzana Doctor’s Seven (2020) as a literary site for interrogating the intergenerational trauma associated with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) within the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community. The paper argues that Seven presents FGM not only as an act of bodily harm but also as a multidimensional trauma – at once personal, psychological, familial, and cultural – that is transferred across generations of women through silence, denial, and normative expectations, while also demonstrating that confronting and narrativising trauma is essential for disrupting the cycle of violence. Through the protagonist’s journey of uncovering both personal and collective histories, the narrative exposes the mechanisms by which trauma is both sustained and challenged. Employing qualitative textual analysis, this study offers a close reading of the theme of FGM in Seven, drawing on Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory, Marianne Hirsch’s concept of postmemory, sexuality theory and postcolonial feminist frameworks. These theoretical lenses illuminate how the novel critiques systems of gendered violence and advocates for intergenerational healing and accountability. Seven serves as a critical feminist intervention that challenges the normalisation of FGM and foregrounds the transformative power of voice and narrative.