Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Contrarian Speech? The Terrific Murder of (S)Jack the Elephant

This essay explores the concept of ‘contrarianism’ in its polymorphic nature. The figure of the ‘contrarian’ is likened to Janus, simultaneously challenging and benefiting from existing power structures. The essay examines the persistent stigmatization of individuals who learn to live with debilitating somatic illnesses and the discrimination against those with psychogenic bodies, interpreting them as manifestations of contrarianism. It considers how reactions such as culturally inappropriate responses to stressors, socially deviant behaviour and conflicts between individuals and society can be viewed as attempts to challenge prevailing modes of coexistence. Drawing on the works of Roland Barthes and Lauren Berlant, this essay proposes contrarianism as a multifaceted exploration of non-stigmatized ways of leading an ‘idiorhythmic’ life.