Navigating between Trauma and Identity in Life of Pi: An Analysis of Yann Martel's Novel as a Trauma Narrative

Abstract

This paper analyzes the role of carnivalesque laughter as a form of resistance in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (1913), using Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the carnivalesque as a framework. The study examines how Shaw employs humor, irony, and satire to critique and subvert rigid class structures and societal norms in Edwardian England. Characters such as Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mirror Bakhtin’s vision of carnival, where traditional hierarchies are inverted, and the established social order is challenged. By focusing on language, character dynamics, and the subversive nature of humor, this paper explicates how carnivalesque laughter in Pygmalion serves as a tool for questioning and destabilizing oppressive social structures. The analysis demonstrates that Shaw’s strategic use of satire reflects a spirit analogous to that of Bakhtin’s carnival, promoting a discourse of social change and renewal. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of Shaw's literary techniques and the power of laughter as a vehicle for cultural and social critique.

Keywords: Identity, Psyche, Survival, Trauma Fiction, Trauma.

Highlights:

1. Life of Pi as Trauma Fiction:

 This research places Life of Pi within the genre of trauma fiction, implying the theoretical trauma theory’s frameworks as propounded by Cathy Caruth and Anne Whitehead to highlight how Yann Martel’s narrative poignantly captures the psychological fragmentation, delayed response, and disorientation characteristic of trauma narratives.
2. Storytelling as a Coping Mechanism:
 Pi’s act of demonstrating his story serves as a means to process and survive trauma. Through storytelling, he makes meaning, navigates memory, and transforms traumatic experiences into a narrative form that aids in psychological survival.
3 . Interplay of Trauma and Identity:
 Pi’s identity is depicted as fluid and reshaped by his traumatic experiences which include  the shipwreck, isolation, and loss. His endurance at sea and his relationship with Richard Parker reflect how trauma dishevels and then refashion the self.
4.Religious Faith and Psychological Resilience:
 Pi’s strong faith in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam turn out to be a stabilizing force, helping him reconcile the tumult of trauma with a sense of meaning and hope. Faith functions as a narrative and emotional labyrinth for survival.
5.Narrative Structure Reflecting Trauma:

 Martel’s chooses nonlinear, fragmented storytelling methods along with the disjointed temporality of trauma. The blend and blurring of  boundaries between reality and imagination demonstrates the way trauma blurs memory and perception.