The Predicament of a Human Rights Worker: Witnessing Trauma in Sarah Stone’s The True Sources of the Nile

Abstract

This paper analyzes the psychological and ethical dilemmas faced by Anne, a human rights worker in Sarah Stone’s The True Sources of the Nile. Set against the backdrop of political unrest and genocide in Burundi, the novel follows Anne’s struggle to navigate the personal trauma of loss, her growing attachment to Jean-Pierre, and the moral ambiguities of international aid work. The paper argues that Stone complicates the conventional image of the humanitarian by portraying Anne as a figure caught between empathy, guilt, and complicity. By tracing her journey, the novel questions the effectiveness of human rights discourse when confronted with the complexities of postcolonial violence and personal entanglement.