Navigating the Body-Brain Dichotomy and the Interplay of Trauma, Memory, and Masculinity in Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life (2015)

Trauma often manifests in both physical scars and psychological struggles, creating a profound interplay between the body and brain. Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life (2015) offers a poignant exploration of this dichotomous dynamic through the life of Jude St. Francis, a character marked by relentless trauma and its impact on his body, mind, and masculinity. This study examines the body-brain dichotomy in Jude’s narrative, focusing on how his somatic scars and cerebral struggles shape his identity and destabilize traditional notions of masculinity. The study attempts to explore the underexplored connection between embodied trauma and its cognitive repercussions, The study analyzes the physical and psychological dimensions of Jude’s suffering and their narrative representation, using methods of close textual analysis and multidisciplinary theoretical approach grounded in trauma theory, psychoanalysis, and masculinity studies. The study argues how the foregrounding of the inseparability of body and brain in understanding trauma offers a nuanced critique of the social constructs surrounding masculinity and healing.