Trauma and resistance in the seven moons of Maali Almeida

Abstract

Shehan Karunatilaka’s Booker Prize-winning novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida presents a haunting narrative set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s civil unrest in the late 20th century. The novel is both a ghost story and a political commentary, woven through with the themes of trauma and resistance. This paper explores how Karunatilaka constructs a narrative of personal and collective trauma through the experiences of the protagonist, Maali Almeida-a war photographer who navigates the afterlife while uncovering the truth about his own death. It also examines the multifaceted forms of resistance in the novel, from the protagonist’s posthumous mission to expose hidden atrocities, to the broader resistance of the marginalized and silenced voices in war-torn Sri Lanka. Through its complex structure and inventive storytelling, the novel emerges as a powerful testimony to memory, truth, and resilience.