The Structure of Trauma in David Diop's Novel Brother of Soul through the Lens of Slavoj Žižek’s Theories

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Vahid NEJAD MOHAMMAD ¹

Ali Jabbari Khameneh ²

¹ University of Tabriz

² Department of English Language and Literature, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/lts.2025.92431.1332

Abstract

This paper examines the novel Brother of Soul by David Diop, through the analytical lens of Slavoj Žižek, and its focus is the structure of trauma and its impact on the protagonist, Alpha Ndiaye, a Senegalese soldier in World War I. Using Žižek's key concepts, such as “the Real”, “the Symbolic”, and “Object petite a”, the text analyzes how the characters deal with the trauma of war and its impact on identity. It also demonstrates how the trauma of war, as a “Real Event” disrupts the “Symbolic Order”, and leads to alienation and psychological breakdown, highlighting the role of the “Other” in shaping the experience of trauma and the transformation of the main character's identity. Ultimately, this paper provides a deeper understanding of the impact of trauma on the individual and society within the context of war and colonialism, offering new perspectives on postcolonial literary studies and psychoanalysis.

Highlights

 

Keywords

Trauma

Novel

Identity

Žižek

Diop

Colonialism

Subjects

• English Language and Literature

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References