From Survival to Reclamation: Exploration of Trauma in All the Lives We Never Lived

Peer-Reviewed
The Criterion

The Criterion: An International Journal in English ISSN: 0976-8165

Open Access

Indian Literature

From Survival to Reclamation: Exploration of Trauma in All the Lives We Never Lived

Utsha Nishad, Dr. Shambhavi
Volume / Issue
Vol. 17, Issue 1 · February 2026

Pages
111-125

Article ID
2026V17N1040

Abstract

Trauma is a worldwide phenomenon that impacts nearly every individual’s daily life. Michelle Balaev defines trauma as “a person’s emotional response to an overwhelming event that disrupts the previous notion of an individual’s sense of self and the standards by which one evaluates society” (Balaev 3). The emotional reactions to trauma vary significantly due to individuals’ emotional turmoil in response to overwhelming incidents, which upend their established sense of identity and societal benchmarks. To understand the depth of human experiences, trauma studies have emerged, revealing a wealth of possibilities for exploring the impact of trauma on characters in literature and individuals in society by analysing their psychological and cultural significance. Anuradha Roy’s All the Lives We Never Lived examines how characters navigate personal and collective histories marked by memory, loss, flashbacks, and other distressing traumatic events. This research engages in the fictional exploration of trauma to capture the diverse voices of the narratives, weighing how the question of survival informs trauma studies. Another primary concern of this paper is exploring how the pursuit of identity aids in overcoming traumatic experiences, along with uncovering and developing a new understanding of the conditions of individuals affected by trauma. The paper employs a qualitative method of textual analysis, drawing on theoretical insights from trauma theory. Through the works of trauma theorists such as Cathy Caruth, Michelle Baleav, Geoffrey Hartman, and Kali Tal, among others, the study explores how, in the present novel, All the Lives We Never Lived, trauma disrupts cognition, leading to fragmented memories and silent voices.

Keywords

identityisolation narrativessilenced voicetrauma

Article History

Received
15-01-2026
Accepted
11 February 2026
Published Online
3 February 2026

How to Cite

Utsha Nishad, Dr. Shambhavi. “From Survival to Reclamation: Exploration of Trauma in All the Lives We Never Lived.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 111-125. ISSN: 0976-8165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n1.9

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