The Representation of

Trauma in Broadchurch
Kuszinger Rebeka | Terms and Concepts | 09 th Dec 2019
 The show

Motherhood

Outline
Family Life

Role of Trauma in Parental

Identity
The Show
• 2013-2017
• Chris Chibnall
• David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker
• Three seasons – all focusing to one main issue
• (1) – murder of Danny Latimer
• (2) – “courtroom drama”, DI Hardy as a traumatized
detective
• (3) – rape case - trauma
Traumas in Broadchurch

The death of Danny Latimer

• Change in paternal identity

• Broken family

DI Alec Hardy’s past, unsuccessful investigation – traumatized

detective
• Heart and health problems

An older woman, Trish was raped

• Unable to recall memories

• Broken view her identity, body
• Intrusion – loss of unity
Motherhood

• “Several authors (e.g. Keesee, Currier,

& Neimeyer, 2008; Worden, 2008)
consider the grief from losing a child
to be more intense and longer lasting
than other types of loss, particularly
for mothers. The mother is in focus, in
the centre of the shots” (
 • “The traumatic impact of bereavement has been shown
to extend to social functioning and family life. Difficulties
Trauma – Family have been noted for parental marital functioning, in
particular (Najman et al., 1993). One study indicated that
Life the divorce rates among bereaved parents are as much
as eight times the norm” (Rogers et al)
• “Beth Latimer: Why didn’t you see he was gone?
Mark Latimer: Why didn’t you?”
• Division of the couple
• Mark moves away in season 2, divorce.
 • “To cope with thes identity changes, bereaved
Change in parents must grieve their old identity and create
Parental Identity a new sense of self in order to acknowledge the
reality of the child's death” (Toller, 1).
Parental Identity
A catastrophic event, the death of a child shatters parents' worldview (Janoff-Bulman, 1992)
and assails their parental identity (Rando, 1991). When a child dies, parents experience a
profound change in status as they are stripped of their role as a care-giver and nurturer
(Riches & Dawson, 1996).
In essence, the death of a child means parents can no longer enact their parental identity
through the parent-child relationship.
The loss of the parent-child relationship ultimately symbolizes the loss and absence of
opportunities to carry out a desired and expected social role on behalf of the parent (Riches
& Dawson, 1996).
(Toller)
Trauma
• Danny appearing in dreams
• Panic attack, Frustration is triggered
by minor difficulties
• Both of them appear in closeups,
their body becomes fragmented also
Works Cited

• Rogers, Catherine H et al. “Long-term effects of the death of a child on

parents' adjustment in midlife.” Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of
the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association
(Division 43) vol. 22,2 (2008): 203-11. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.2.203
• Toller, Paige W. “Bereaved Parents' Negotiation of Identity Following the
Death of a Child.” Communication Faculty Publications, University of
Nebraska at Omaha, 2008.
• Martinčeková, L., & Klatt, J. “Mothers' Grief, Forgiveness, and Posttraumatic
Growth after the Loss of a Child.” Omega – Journal of Death and Dying, vol
75, no. 3, pp 248-265. doi: 10.1177/0030222816652803.