Diving into the Depths: Confronting Trauma and Finding Healing in David Vann's Komodo - A study guide
By Juliette Grondin - All rights reserved
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vann pursued higher education at Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in English. He then obtained an MFA from Cornell University. Reading Old English and classic literature has had a profound impact on his writing and made him very self-aware of the different influences overlapping in his work. His exploration of fate and tragic family dynamics, for example, echoe the themes of Greek tragedies.
After years trying to write quite literally about the memory of the day on which he learned about his father's suicide, his literary breakthrough came through a turn towards self-fiction. This led to the publication of Legend of a Suicide in 2008, a collection of stories centered around the loss of his father, from which the novella Sukkwan Island has been translated to over 20 languages. This work brought him critical acclaim and numerous awards, establishing him around the world as a powerful voice in literature.
Indeed, his writing style evokes comparisons to Hemingway for its concise, unadorned prose that carries deep emotional weight, while his brutal depictions of landscapes bring to mind McCarthy’s stark realism. Like Faulkner, he delves into the complexities of intergenerational trauma, and, much like Jack London, he vividly portrays nature as both a harsh, testing ground and a source of existential reflection.
[Self-fiction, also known as autofiction, is a genre of writing where the author blends elements of autobiography with fiction. In self-fiction, the author uses real-life experiences, emotions, and memories as the foundation for the narrative but reimagines or alters them to create a fictionalized story. This allows the writer to explore personal themes and events in a more creative and symbolic way, often providing deeper insight into the human experience while blurring the line between fact and fiction.]
Vann's personal life has been fraught with tragedy. His family history includes five suicides and a murder, along with multiple divorces and bankruptcies. These personal experiences have profoundly shaped his writing, allowing him to explore themes of tragedy, loss, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.
David Vann claims that art has saved him from spiraling into despair and dangerous life choices after his father's death:
But when we look at what is wrong within us, and when we see it expressed artistically, it allows us to renew ourselves. For me, it started with theater when I was 16 years old. For three years, I was shooting at streetlights and aiming at neighbors... After three years, I joined a theater group. They forced me to tell the true story of the day I learned how my father had died. I was in tears; it was a complete and liberating catharsis. Afterwards, on stage, with these extremely strong feelings... it completely changed my life, and I changed direction. - Interview on France Culture, Le Temps des Ecrivains
https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/le-temps-des-ecrivains/emission-speciale-david-vann
He also talks about the therapeutic effects of writing as a cathartic outlet and a means to transform his painful and chaotic past into coherent and meaningful stories:
My writing has acted as a form of therapy to me and does have cathartic power, because I am going back through what was most disturbing in our family’s life, beginning with my father’s suicide, the most disturbing event in my life. Writing it is a second chance to go back and take what was terrifying and meaningless in real life, to make it coherent and meaningful, and to have it connected to stories. So, although some people are afraid of tragedy, or think it is depressing, it is actually supposed to be reassuring. It takes all of our demons, all of our bad behaviors and all the landscapes of hell that we sense in ourselves and it finds a safe place to put them and have them constrained in the end. - Interview with Natalie Cazajous-Augé
Writing About Death, Killing and Nonhuman Animals: An Interview with David Vann (openedition.org)
One key feature of his work is that he writes mostly self-fiction, in which he takes elements from his own life and lets his unconscious unfold the story into a different shape. He sees this as an opportunity to turn something ugly into something beautiful, giving him another chance at life:
There’s something real that happens in writing, there’s a transformation of the unconscious, all the past experience, in my case very ugly family stories […] and so my unconscious I think wants to find a different shape for the stories, and it’s essentially wanting a kind of redemption, wanting a second chance to go back and turn what was ugly into something beautiful. - Writing second chance, Louisiana Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxKVGR11y_E
He also explains that since writing "Sukkwan Island" (the main story in "Legend of a Suicide"), his creative process has relied on automatic writing. Instead of planning the story ahead, he reads each morning what he wrote the previous day and then lets his unconscious take over to write the next thirty pages. This approach adds an intriguing dimension to his work, allowing his novels to become deep dives into his own unconscious. This not only makes the writing a healing process for him but also imbues his novels with profound archetypal representations that resonate deeply with readers. By tapping into the core of the human experience, his stories achieve a universal appeal.
[Automatic writing is a creative technique where the writer allows thoughts and ideas to flow spontaneously onto the page without conscious control or planning, often tapping into the unconscious mind. It has been shown to be the most therapeutic type of writing, possibly because it puts the writer into a flow state, a mental state of deep focus and immersion.]
[ An archetype is a universal pattern, symbol, or theme that recurs across cultures and time periods, embodying fundamental human experiences like the hero's journey or the struggle between good and evil.These elements resonate deeply with readers, tapping into shared, collective emotions and ideas.]
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DAVID VANN AND KOMODO
David Vann's novel "Komodo" is another compelling work of self-fiction, drawing from his own life experiences. After his divorce, Vann moved to the Pacific Ocean to immerse in his lifelong long love for marine life and pursue his passion for scuba diving, which he describes as a form of meditation. In the novel, the character Roy, his literary alter ego who also appears in "Sukkwan Island," is clearly modeled after Vann himself. However, the primary focus of "Komodo" shifts to Tracy, the narrator and main character, who represents his sister. Tracy harbors anger towards Roy for divorcing a woman who had become her close friend. The mother, with whom they have had a tumultuous relationship but have since reconciled, also plays a significant role in the story. The specter of their father, who committed suicide and is referred to as Jim in both this and other books, continues to loom over them.
In the novel, Tracy and her mother visit Roy, who is in Komodo training to become a scuba diving instructor. Tracy, an exhausted mother feeling abandoned by her husband, channels her frustration and resentment towards Roy, projecting the pattern of abandonment she experienced with the other men in her life—her father and her husband—onto him. As is typical in Vann's work, nature plays a dominant role, creating an intense atmosphere where complicated family dynamics unfold. As Tracy dives into the depths of the ocean and of her own unconscious, the story allows the author to explore the profound and troubling family patterns of resentment, reenactment, and trauma that bind them together.
"Nature is at the heart of my writing. It's the focal point, the method—it's how I write my books. If you remove nature, there's nothing left. It's like a Rorschach test. [...] It's like that when I describe the forest or the ocean in Alaska, where I grew up; these are landscapes that hold deep meaning for me. It's very intimate; I write about my personal life, my father, what we felt. Our brain sees patterns everywhere. [...] By describing the place, I discover what the story will be. I don't know in advance what's going to happen." - David Vann in Le temps des Ecrivains
https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/le-temps-des-ecrivains/emission-speciale-david-vann
[A Rorschach test is a psychological assessment where individuals interpret a series of inkblot images, revealing underlying thoughts, emotions, and personality traits based on their responses.]
"Yes, I love the fish, and you are right about the peaceful contemplation. For instance, Caitlyn, in Aquarium, is able to find peace, vision and possibility underwater. In “Ichthyology” also there is an escape, a peace and safety in this silent underwater world. It is like that for all my characters."- Interview with Natalie Cazajous-Augé
Writing About Death, Killing and Nonhuman Animals: An Interview with David Vann (openedition.org)
As in his earlier stories, the contemplation of fish and the proximity to water are associated with relief, a deeper connection to the world, and a renewed sense of possibility.But as the dive also symbolizes Tracy's confrontation with her inner demons, we will see that the imagery of fish and water in Komodo takes on a more complex and ambivalent significance...
GENERAL FACTS
Komodo has unfortunately not been published in English yet, so I read the French edition, beautifully translated by Laura Derajinski and published by my favorite French publishing house, Gallmeister (they have the best selection of American literature I know). In this article, I am therefore referring to the French version, for which I provide my own translations, and I will replace the quotes with the original text as soon as it is published in English.
DISCLAIMER: THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS
GENERAL SUMMARY
After his divorce, Roy travels to Indonesia and moves to Komodo Island to train for his divemaster certificate. His sister Tracy, the homodiegetic narrator and main character, is an overwhelmed mother of difficult young twins and the neglected wife of a charismatic but self-absorbed Latino dancer. Leaving her family for the first time, she embarks on an guilt-ridden diving vacation with her mother to visit Roy. Tracy resents Roy for divorcing someone who had become her close friend and envies him for his professional success and relational freedom, while she feels trapped, having sacrificed her career as an ichthyologist to the ungratifying role of raising her children. She suffocates under the weight of her responsibilities as a mother and wife, while the men in her life seem to effortlessly shirk their family duties. This exploration of gender dynamics and imbalances is a recurring theme in David Vann's works (see Caribou Island or Bright Air Black).
Upon their arrival in Komodo, Roy is already isolated from the camaraderie within the diving community, and Tracy’s inability to refrain from making resentful and inappropriate comments further alienates them. The reader has access to Tracy’s inner dialogue, revealing a mind tortured by incessant negativity. However, when she dives into the water for the first time, the breathtaking beauty of the depths offers her an incredible sense of relief. Underwater, her focus shifts from her own misery to the contemplation of the beautiful and intriguing shapes of the fish, softening her mental state. The underwater paradise seems to renew her connection to the world and offers a sense of rebirth. As she interacts with majestic and rare rays, she feels chosen, awakening a transcendental connection to the universe that feels deeply healing.
But the depths also conceal dangerous landscapes and fauna, and being a visitor in this strange world offers less control than life on land. When her mother is pulled down by dangerous currents, cuts herself on a reef, and panics, Tracy tries to help her while Roy remains oblivious to their peril. This moment seems to represent the metaphorical pit of trauma that Tracy has been trapped in since her father's suicide, with her mother’s injury threatening to attract deadly sharks from the murky depths below, symbolizing Tracy’s own treacherous emotions and her vulnerability as she struggles in her role as her mother's caretaker.
From this point on, Tracy spirals deeper into her fears and resentments. Each dive becomes a descent into her unconscious, with the wild and dangerous creatures she encounters representing her own demons. When Roy leads them close to a monstrous, poisonous ray, something snaps within her, and she turns off his oxygen tank. The accumulated resentment against Roy and the other men in her life culminates in a sudden, overwhelming desire to kill her own brother. After he dangerously passes out underwater, teetering on the brink of drowning, she eventually reopens the air tank, but it’s too late—she has already unleashed her monstrous side. The family holiday is abruptly cut short, and Tracy returns home, having severed her relationships with both her brother and her mother.
Back home, nothing has changed—her children remain out of control, and her husband is still absent. However, something within Tracy has irreparably ruptured. Her interactions with her sons take on an eerie, ominous tone, and one night, while they sleep, she approaches her children and husband with knives in hand, echoing the madness of Medea (a character Vann explores in Bright Air Black). She enjoys the sensation of the dull side of the blade on their skin but ultimately does not turn it, stepping away from the brink of the irreparable at the last moment. After a heated argument with her husband, he finally recognizes the immense pressure she has been under and promises to be more present and supportive. After this vertiginous fall into the depths of despair, a glimmer of hope emerges, suggesting that light can still be found, and the traumatic pit may yet be escaped.
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THEMES
- Death and survival
In Komodo, the characters find themselves in dangerous situations where the fear of death and the struggle for survival are ever-present. The tension between life and death mirrors the ambivalence of trauma, which, like a wound, comes from both confronting and escaping a destructive force. This push and pull between danger and survival captures the lingering impact of trauma, revealing how it shapes and reshapes the characters' lives.
- The perceived inescapability of trauma
Komodo explores the deep-seated impression that trauma is inescapable—a sense of doom and stuckness that many traumatized individuals experience. Some theorists have described trauma as an overwhelming and insurmountable force. While the novel ultimately suggests that healing and transformation are possible, there are moments when the characters do feel trapped by the weight of their trauma, reinforcing the perception that it is indeed an inescapable reality.
One aspect that contributes to this feeling of entrapment is the intergenerational repetition of patterns. Tracy, during her first dive, fears dying and leaving her children in the same way her father did. She also resents her brother Roy for repeating their father’s pattern of betrayal. As Tracy reflects on Roy’s infidelity, she notes, "“Maybe we can't help repeating things.”. This repetition, known as reenactment, can create a strong impression that trauma is an endless cycle, making it seem insurmountable. Indeed, the characters often mistake this psychological mechanism for an unchangeable destiny. This is because, as long as their emotions remain repressed and their mechanisms unconscious, these patterns continue to dominate their lives, making them feel as if they are fated to repeat the same cycles.
Projection is another one of those mechanisms that reinforce the perception of trauma as inescapable. Tracy projects the pain caused by her father and husband onto her brother Roy. When she attempts to kill Roy, she thinks, “It should have been Lautaro, though.”. This projection shows how unresolved trauma can distort perceptions and actions, making the trauma feel ever-present, wherever she looks.
Tracy also feels imprisoned by her negative thoughts, wishing to escape them by “turn[ing] a few of the wheels [in her brain] to close those pathways forever", a metaphor for shutting off the overwhelming flood of traumatic memories and emotions. While the metaphore of the faucet refers to a continuous overflow which reflects the subjective experience of trauma as inescapable, the idea of turning it off also hints at the possibility of finding relief and breaking free from these cycles.
As the analysis will further explore, narrative fragmentation and dissociation in Komodo amplify the portrayal of trauma as a phenomenon of inescapable doom and loss of agency .
- Vulnerability and the need for control
The traumatic sense of vulnerability and powerlessness stemming from her experience of abandonment leaves Tracy with a profound need for vengeance, power, and control. This need surfaces repeatedly throughout the novel, but it is most blatant when she turns off Roy's air tank underwater: "The most powerful position imaginable, riding his back. Full control over another life, no longer helpless.". The exhilaration she feels in this moment of absolute control reflects her desperate desire to reclaim agency, hinting at the possibility of overcoming the annihilating effects of trauma.
- Existential despair and the feeling of absurdity
Tracy experiences a profound sense of despair and a loss of meaning, emotions often associated with trauma. Traumatic events can be so overwhelming that they shatter any coherent understanding of the world, making it feel impossible to reconcile the experience with reality. This collapse of meaning creates a sense of disorientation, as if everything has been turned upside down. For a deeper exploration of how these emotions are portrayed in the novel, refer to the sections on "Dirty Realism" and "Narrative Dissociation" below.
- Isolation and the rupture of relationships
Tracy, Roy, and their mother are portrayed as isolated figures within the diving club, unable to connect meaningfully with others due to the heavy burden of their shared family history. Their relationships are toxic, marked by dysfunctional communication and behaviors that strain their interactions with the outside world. Even before his mother and sister arrived, Roy was already isolated and friendless. This alienation deepens as the family drama unfolds, making those around them uncomfortable and ultimately leading to their expulsion from the group.
The term "outcast" is explicitly used to describe both the family as a whole and Tracy herself ("Outcast, slave, prisoner."), echoing the way David Vann uses the word to describe Medea in Bright Air Black. The word carries powerful connotations of stigmatization, rejection, and alienation, reflecting the profound sense of disconnection that traumatized individuals often feel. Their overwhelming emotions can alienate them from the common reality shared by others, leading to feelings of shame and even self-disgust.
This theme of disconnection is woven throughout the novel, manifesting in the characters' inability to communicate, their body language that signals rupture or disinterest, and the extreme conflicts that arise. Tracy's sense of isolation culminates in her reflection on how it's possible to feel lonely even as a married woman and mother of two. Her relationships lack depth, connection, and understanding, and she feels profoundly disconnected from her own sense of self. Tracy's longing for her former self and her struggles with negative self-talk and body image suggest that healing from trauma involves the crucial work of reconnecting with oneself and others.
- Toxic gender dynamics
As in many of David Vann's novels—such as Caribou Island, Dirt, Aquarium, and Bright Air Black—toxic gender dynamics are a central theme. Men in these stories often shirk their familial responsibilities, leaving women abandoned, heartbroken, and burdened with the weight of those responsibilities. This recurring motif likely stems from Vann's personal life, where his mother experienced betrayal and abandonment by his father, a story reflected in the mother character in Komodo.
Komodo is Vann's third novel with a female protagonist (following Aquarium and Bright Air Black), and much like Medea in Bright Air Black, Tracy's rage at her situation intensifies throughout the narrative. While she nearly mirrors Medea’s infamous act of infanticide, Tracy ultimately pulls back at the last moment. This parallel between the two women underscores a broader commentary on how women often bear the brunt of trauma in dysfunctional family dynamics within patriarchal societies. The narrative suggests that these personal struggles should be understood through the broader cultural and social lens of sexism, illustrating how systemic gender inequalities exacerbate individual suffering.
- Trauma as an Identity crisis :
In Komodo, trauma is portrayed not merely as an emotional or psychological wound but as a profound identity crisis that disrupts the very core of the self. Tracy's internal monologue reveals a shift in her identity, indicating that trauma has effaced much of what she previously recognized as herself. She describes her brain as "built only for battle" constantly hypervigilant and obsessed with control, a radical departure from who she used to be. This suggests that trauma has rewritten her identity, leaving her in a state of constant alertness and anxiety, unable to savor life.
Moreover, the novel explores how this identity crisis extends to the body and self-perception. Tracy’s struggle to reconcile her fluctuating body image with her internal sense of self highlights the dissonance trauma creates between how she perceives herself and how she feels inside. The notion that "a body can change in only a day or two" mirrors the unpredictable and often overwhelming fluctuations in her emotions and thoughts, further underscoring the instability of her identity post-trauma.
Tracy’s reflections on her childhood and her loss of self then are particularly telling. She recalls a sense of "annihilation" when she misbehaved as a child, a feeling that resurfaces in adulthood, indicating that the trauma she experiences as an adult is reawakening deep-seated fears of losing herself entirely. This annihilation is closely linked to the idea of her identity being tied to her relationships with others; when these connections are threatened, so too is her sense of self.
Ultimately, Tracy’s longing for the "visit" of her former self encapsulates the central theme of trauma as an identity crisis in Komodo. The novel suggests that trauma not only damages the psyche but also disrupts the continuity of self, leaving the individual yearning for a return to a lost sense of wholeness and stability.
- The possibility of healing, transformation and renewal
In Komodo, Tracy's journey illustrates that while the path to healing from trauma is far from linear, there is a profound possibility for renewal and change. Tracy, the protagonist, is not the same person when she arrived and and she leaves the island, and what happened there will have a lasting impact on her family relationships.This narrative arc of transformation marks a departure from some of David Vann's other novels, where the writing often gives the impression of suspended echoes of an eternal and inescapable past. The sense that time is frozen is the hallmark of a traumatic relationship with reality. Trauma, as characterized by intrusive flashbacks and a perpetual sense of alert from past dangers, can be defined as the affliction of being stuck in a unending past. In some of David Vann’s works (Sukkwan Island, Goat Mountain…), this suspension of time is amplified by the deliberate absence of punctuation, particularly dashes or quotation marks to denote direct speech. This stylistic choice removes the dialogue from the usual flow of causality and sequence, creating the impression that the conversations linger in the narrator’s mind as haunting, spectral echoes. But in Komodo, punctuation marks are reintroduced, which seems to indicate that the flow of time has been reactivated, making change possible.
Tracy, the main character, stands apart from the archetypal figures often found in David Vann’s works—characters that can feel like timeless actors on the stage of the collective unconscious. Unlike these static archetypes, Tracy is a dynamic character, undergoing significant psychological change throughout the narrative. As a first-person narrator, she provides direct access to her inner world, allowing us to witness the shifts in her moods, thoughts, hopes, and fears in real time. The dramatic events on the island bring about a profound transformation in Tracy, and by the time she leaves, she is undeniably changed. Even her children notice the difference, and in the final moments of the novel, her husband Lautaro finally recognizes the immense pressure and overwhelming responsibilities she has been carrying. He resolves to become a more present husband and father, suggesting that there is hope—that people and circumstances can indeed change.
The theme of transformation is articulated through the imagery of water and diving, which from the beginning seem to open new vistas for Tracy. Underwater, she is given access to a world that extracts her from her smothering life. The breathtaking beauty reconnects her to her senses of pleasure and of peacefulness, and during the first few dives we can see her thoughts shift from worry to pleasure. The motifs of transformation and renewal are therefore connected to the immersion into water, as Tracy, observing the virginal landscapes after emerging from the water, formulates the hope of being spewed out into the world as a newborn. Indeed, the motif of the physical rebirth serves to make this theme even more explicit.
In contrast to the traditional abreactive approach, which forms the foundation of talking cures by promoting the reconstruction of traumatic memories as a path to healing, Komodo offers an alternative route to transformation. Rather than focusing on mending the past through narrative reconstruction, the novel advocates for immersing oneself in present, repressed emotions and confronting them directly, rather than turning a blind eye. It also highlights the importance of reconnecting with the present environment to rediscover life's pleasures. Healing and change, therefore, are depicted as arising from a profound engagement with one’s inner and outer worlds, in the present.
- The encounter with Nature and the Numinous experience
Tracy's renewal of pleasure, which ultimately expands her emotional capacity and enables her to confront even the deepest of her inner demons, is catalyzed by her immersion in a natural landscape and her encounters with majestic animals. This connection to nature engulfs her in a sense of awe, and as she witnesses the majesty of the natural world, she finds reassurance in being part of a vast and powerful cosmos, greater than herself.
This experience can be understood as numinous—an encounter that evokes a profound sense of awe, reverence, and mystery, often linked to the divine or supernatural. Theologian Rudolf Otto popularized the concept of the numinous in his 1917 work, The Idea of the Holy, describing it as a non-rational, ineffable experience that simultaneously inspires fascination and fear. Otto termed this duality the mysterium tremendum (the overwhelming, awe-inspiring aspect) and the mysterium fascinans (the alluring, compelling aspect). The numinous, therefore, is not merely an intellectual acknowledgment of the sacred but a deeply emotional and spiritual encounter with something greater than oneself, often leading to a heightened sense of the divine.
This numinous experience plays a crucial role in repairing one's relationship with the world and facilitating the healing of trauma, as it reconnects the individual with a sense of belonging and significance within the larger cosmos. Despite Tracy's repeated assertions that she does not believe in God, her encounter with the first two rays, which swim beside her, leads her to feel as though she has been blessed by the gods. She even reflects that it is impossible to deny that such a beautiful creature could possess a soul, indicating her experience of the numinous through her profound connection with nature.
-The tension between the yearning and the impossibility to believe
In Komodo, Tracy’s relationship to the question of the divine captures the profound tension between a deep yearning for belief and the impossibility of fully embracing it—a conflict that reflects a crisis of meaning often precipitated by trauma. When trauma shatters the familiar structures of life - as it did when her father cheated on her mother and committed suicide - it leaves behind a void where meaning becomes elusive and the world feels chaotic and unmoored. This collapse forces individuals like Tracy to confront the fragility of the constructs that once provided a sense of order and purpose.
Tracy is drawn to moments of awe in the natural world, which evoke a reassuring sense of connection to something greater. Yet, these experiences are quickly undercut by her skepticism and a growing disillusionment with beliefs that once offered comfort. This is particularly evident in her reflections on New Age spirituality, which initially promises a sense of order and transcendence but ultimately fails to withstand the weight of her existential crisis. The allure of these beliefs, with their emphasis on interconnectedness and cosmic patterns, is tempting, yet Tracy approaches them with the caution of someone who has been disappointed before. This oscillation between attraction and hesitation reflects the post-traumatic yearning for reassurance and the inability to fully trust in it. It also mirrors the fits and starts of the healing process.
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MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS
-Self-hatred
Tracy frequently criticizes herself, calling herself fat and expressing disgust toward her physical appearance. This self-loathing appears to go beyond superficial insecurity, reflecting a deeper sense of having given up on herself—a surrender that may stem from unresolved trauma. Her unhealthy relationship with food, using it as a means of both comfort and punishment, suggests how she might have internalized her pain and allowed it to distort her sense of self-worth. This self-hatred could be seen as a symptom of the underlying trauma, illustrating how it might warp one’s relationship with the body and the self. By fixating on her body as the source of her inadequacy, Tracy's self-hatred becomes a tangible expression of the inner turmoil she struggles to articulate, serving as both a distraction from and a reminder of the unresolved wounds she carries.
-Transgression
In Komodo, the motif of transgression is deeply intertwined with the despair that trauma inflicts, pushing individuals to the very edge of societal norms. Tracy's simmering rage and frustration reflect her internal struggle with the boundaries that once held meaning in her life. She acknowledges that “the rules that hold us back only work if you stay in range,” highlighting how trauma has eroded these limits and brought her to the brink of transgression. This internal conflict becomes shockingly real within the novel when Tracy actually tries to kill her brother—an act that her mother deems the most unforgivable. This moment of extreme violence underscores how trauma can drive someone to the edge of society, creating a crisis of meaning where the once-clear distinctions between right and wrong, permissible and forbidden, begin to blur.
Trauma itself can be seen as a transgression of the norm, a violation of the expected order, thrusting individuals into a space where they are forced to confront the unimaginable. This rupture in the fabric of their reality leaves them questioning what truly holds us together as a society, as trauma shatters the comfort that rules and norms once provided. Tracy’s fear of crossing boundaries is not just about social defiance but about the deeper fear of losing herself completely in the chaos that trauma has unleashed.
The act of transgression becomes both a temptation and a coping mechanism—a way to assert control in a world that feels increasingly unmanageable. Yet, this exploration of the edge of pain and humanity offers only fleeting and unhealthy comfort. Tracy finds herself torn between seeking refuge in the familiar bounds of rules that no longer provide solace and succumbing to the lure of further transgression, where the boundaries of her humanity are tested. The motif of transgression in Komodo thus reflects the profound existential crisis that trauma can provoke, leaving individuals on the precipice, uncertain whether to retreat to a broken refuge or delve deeper into the abyss of their suffering.
- Water:
Throughout the novel, Tracy’s relationship with water reflects both her inner psychological journey and the possibility of transformation.
Water is a classical symbol of the unconscious, representing the depths of the mind where hidden emotions, memories, and desires reside. In Komodo, this symbolism is evident as Tracy repeatedly immerses herself in water, which can be seen as a metaphor for her descent into her own unconscious.
Water also symbolizes renewal and cleansing, a motif that is central to both Christian tradition and Gaston Bachelard’s interpretation of the element. In Christian symbolism, water is often associated with baptism, a ritual of purification and spiritual rebirth. Similarly, Bachelard views water as a symbol of purity and renewal, capable of washing away the past and offering the possibility of a new beginning. In Komodo, Tracy’s longing to " bathe in the pure waters and be reborn" echoes these themes, suggesting her desire to cleanse herself of past traumas and emerge renewed.
This idea of renewal is vividly depicted in the passage where Tracy imagines herself being deposited on a deserted island, akin to a soul choosing its place of birth. She envisions herself as a newborn, cleansed by the small fish that purify her body, leaving her "smooth and perfect and naked to the sun". This imagery is also present later on when she curls into a fetal position in the shower, and not only reinforces the notion of water as a medium of transformation but also reflects a deep-seated desire to return to a state of pre-traumatic innocence. The motif of the newborn symbolizes Tracy's yearning to start over, to be free from the burdens of her past, and to reclaim a purity and wholeness that trauma has disrupted.
-Fluidity and movement V. rigidity
As Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist known for her expertise in mental health, has stated, "the core of mental health is flexibility".
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TK_mWS-CPS0
In Komodo, the motifs of rigidity and flexibility are central to understanding the characters' struggles with trauma and their capacity for healing. Fluidity and movement, epitomized by the imagery of water, represents the ability to let go, adapt, and be present. For instance, the scene where Tracy observes the boat’s wake dissipating in the water reflects how the passage of time can allow even violent disturbances to fade away, leaving no trace if one is able to move forward. Similarly, the image of the shark drifting effortlessly with the current embodies a state of being that is fluid and adaptable, able to go with the flow rather than resist it.
In contrast, rigidity is depicted as synonymous with imprisonment, both physically and mentally. This is metaphorically renderd in the Kafkaesque passage where Tracy imagines herself undergoing a grotesque transformation into a hardened, insect-like creature. This metamorphosis symbolizes her sense of being trapped—both in her body and in her mind. The rigidity of her imagined form mirrors her feelings of powerlessness, a state where she feels incapable of change or escape, imprisoned by her negative emotions and the overwhelming responsibilities of motherhood.
Through these contrasting motifs, the novel explores the psychological consequences of trauma, illustrating how trauma itself can be understood as a rigidification of the body and mind. This rigidity creates a sense of stagnation and entrapment, while regaining flexibility - which can be achieved both through reformulating one's relationship to one's memories and identity, and reconnecting with one's body and experiencing movement, as she does underwater -is suggested as the pathway to healing. The tension between these states reflects Tracy’s struggle to break free from the rigid patterns that have confined her, and her yearning to embrace a more fluid, adaptable approach to life, where she can heal and grow.
-Dance and harmony
In Komodo, the motifs of dancing and harmony reccur several times. Connected to the motif of fluidity, they symbolize expansion and symbiosis with one's environment and are closely tied to the ideas of healing and reconciliation. The imagery of fishes and divers "dancing" becomes a powerful metaphor for restoring balance and renewing connections with both the natural world and the self.
At one point, the protagonist observes the fish as they momentarily hide and then reemerge, creating what she describes as "a kind of dance." The sheer beauty of this natural spectacle profoundly impacts her, leading her to reconsider her intention to kill her brother.. This natural choreography becomes a symbol of the cyclical patterns of life, the back-and-forth movement a calming metaphor for Tracy's journey toward inner balance. This regular, cyclical motion reflects permanence within impermanence. For Tracy, observing this flux and reflux offers reassuring predictability, helping her cultivate a serene presence and acceptance of her emotional and cognitive fluctuations. This mirrors the meditative experience, where attention to the cycles of breathing and the ebb and flow of thoughts is encouraged. By focusing on these rhythms, one deepens their connection with the present moment, fostering a peaceful acceptance of life’s continuous changes, leading to greater emotional resilience and mental clarity. Thus, the aquatic dance Tracy witnesses not only resonates with her inner world but also serves as a meditative anchor, grounding her mind and providing deep peace amid the uncertainty and changes in her life.
Later on, this motif of dance extends to the divers themselves, as they descend into the water, described "like dancers" twirling on the floor in a world of a brilliant blue above the sand. Here, the divers are no longer mere observers of the dance of nature; they have become participants. This metaphorical dance signifies a deepening integration with the natural world, as the divers move in harmony with the ocean, a vast, vibrant space that contrasts with the earlier sense of isolation or disconnection. The brilliant blue of the water represents clarity and expansiveness, further emphasizing the theme of unity and wholeness.
Through these images, Komodo suggests that harmony with the world and with oneself is not only possible but is a necessary step toward healing from the fragmentation caused by trauma. The dance, both of the fish and of the divers, symbolizes a reawakening of the senses, a renewal of the connection to the body and the environment, and ultimately, a movement toward inner peace. The protagonist’s journey is one of reconnecting with the world in a way that allows for the healing of old wounds, where the rhythm of life becomes a guiding force toward restoration and reconciliation.
-Diving
In Komodo, diving is the main motif, functionning as a metaphor for Tracy’s journey into her unconscious, offering both physical and psychological immersion that leads to transformation and healing. This immersion is twofold: a descent into the depths of her own mind and a connection with the external world, particularly nature. Both aspects of this experience are necessary for her to confront her trauma, survive its trials, and emerge transformed.
From the beginning, the act of diving is linked to the emotional state with which Tracy approaches her inner world. She observes, “Step into this water with fear and dark agents below coalesce to thwart will and prepare every form of suffering, like a thousand birds flown from the underside, a mirror world, but step in with delight and all can be transformed.”. This duality—fear versus wonder—sets the stage for how diving mirrors her emotional confrontation with past traumas. If she enters with fear, she risks being overwhelmed by her darker emotions; but if she approaches the dive with openness, it becomes a transformative experience. This echoes psychological theories on trauma, such as Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing, which suggests that engaging with difficult emotions from a grounded state can lead to healing. In Tracy’s case, the physical act of diving into the water mirrors her psychological plunge into her own unconscious, where confronting painful memories and emotions becomes an essential part of her healing journey.
As Tracy dives deeper, her bodily sensations become central to her experience, emphasizing the importance of proprioception. For example, when she feels pain in her ears and works to relieve the pressure, she describes the release as “tiny air beasts tunneling, squealing as they go". This focus on bodily sensations echoes mindfulness practices that promote awareness of the present moment through attention to the body. In this way, the dive becomes a form of meditation, where Tracy's attention to her sensations cultivates presence and self-compassion. Her internal monologue shifts to a kinder, gentler tone: “Be kind, I think. Be kind." By observing her body’s responses and acknowledging her own vulnerability, Tracy develops a mindful posture that allows her to witness her emotions without judgment, fostering a deeper sense of self-compassion.
The dive also brings a shift in perspective that connects her to the world outside of herself. As she reflects on the vastness of the ocean, she notes the fish hiding in the shadows, their large, fearful eyes exaggerating their sense of danger: “Humans doing this too, oversized I's.". Here, the fish’s survival tactic—amplifying their size to ward off predators—mirrors how humans, especially those dealing with trauma, may distort their perceptions of danger and inflate their identities as a form of self-defense. This reflection allows Tracy to step outside of her self-focused worries and connect with the broader system of life. Her thoughts, once consumed by personal anxieties, now expand to encompass the beauty and complexity of the world around her, highlighting the contrast between her inward-focused thoughts above water and her more expansive, sensory-driven awareness below. This shift aligns with the concept of lantern thinking, where the mind opens up to its surroundings, stepping outside of the “default mode network” of self-concern to observe the world with curiosity and connection.
The physical experience of the dive, particularly the dangerous accident that occurs, symbolizes the traumatic trials Tracy faces. As she is thrown about by the currents and struggles to maintain control—"So I try to make the exhale longer, close my eyes, hold on, try to breathe and not cry, not panic even though I have water in my mouth and it's like holding on in a storm."—this chaos mirrors the overwhelming emotions that arise when confronting trauma. Yet, in this moment of danger, Tracy is surprised by her own calm: “What surprises me is that I don't feel afraid.." This unexpected sense of peace amidst the turbulence reflects her growing capacity to adopt a witness posture, allowing her to observe the forces around her without being overtaken by them. In this way, the accident symbolizes both her confrontation with trauma and her ability to survive it, finding a sense of joy even in the face of danger.
A particularly striking moment occurs when Tracy reflects on the massive crater she encounters during her dive, likening it to an impact zone: “But it's an enormous deep crater more than fifty yards across, a perfect ring that feels planetary, some impact of an asteroid, and as I fly out over the edge I can believe I will fall.". This imagery of a void created by impact serves as a powerful metaphor for the deep psychic wounds that Tracy must confront. The crater represents the hidden layers of trauma that reside in the unconscious, and the dive into its depths symbolizes her willingness to explore these dark and painful areas. The fish hiding in the shadows and their exaggerated eyes further symbolize the aspects of trauma that remain hidden but continue to influence behavior and emotions. Tracy says: "I wonder about bigger sharks" reflecting the fear of uncovering deeper, more troubling memories or truths, a common fear when delving into the subconscious.
Ultimately, the motif of diving in Komodo serves as both a physical and psychological journey for Tracy. As she descends into the ocean and faces the dangers it presents, she also descends into the depths of her unconscious mind, confronting the traumas that have shaped her. The accident during the dive symbolizes the trials of survival in the face of trauma, but Tracy’s ability to remain calm and even smile during this moment of chaos reflects her growing resilience. By the end of the novel, she realizes that she has crossed a significant threshold: "She's crossed a threshold. She is not the mother she was a few days ago." Through her immersion in both the physical world and her own psyche, Tracy undergoes a profound transformation, emerging from the depths of her unconscious with greater self-awareness and strength.
-Body/Mind relationship
In Komodo, the relationship between body and mind is a central theme that is deeply explored through the act of diving. The novel presents moments where Tracy experiences both disconnection and reconnection between her body and mind, using these experiences to highlight the necessity of a holistic approach to emotions and well-being.
One striking moment of disconnection occurs when Tracy reflects, "My body here but the control room for it, along with the instructions, somewhere far away, all communication lost.". This rupture symbolizes the broader experience of emotional disassociation, where individuals become disconnected from their own feelings and physical presence. In this state, Tracy is out of sync with herself, unable to fully inhabit or respond to her body’s experiences, which echoes the way trauma can create a schism between body and mind.
At one point, she regrets how her emotions led to her physical exhaustion: the panic she experiences drains her oxygen, demonstrating how fear and emotional turmoil manifest physically. This interplay between emotions and physical capacity justifies a holistic understanding of emotions, where the body and mind are inextricably linked, and one cannot be understood without the other.
Yet, through the practice of diving, Tracy also learns to reconcile her mind and body. The very act of diving requires her to become attuned to her physical sensations—managing her oxygen levels, feeling the pressure on her ears, and navigating the water’s currents. These embodied experiences force her to focus on the present moment, drawing her mind back into connection with her body. Moments like these emphasize the potential for physical activity, particularly one as immersive as diving, to bridge the gap between mind and body. Tracy’s ability to regulate her breathing and stay calm under water becomes a metaphor for emotional regulation, demonstrating how mindfulness of the body can foster emotional stability. This holistic approach to the relationship between body and mind is echoed in David Vann’s sensorial writing, where his vivid focus on physical sensations turns reading itself into an affective, embodied experience, highlighting the potential for literature to evoke deep emotional resonance through the body.
- Surface/depth
The novel constantly evokes vertical movement, from descending into the depths of the ocean to resurfacing, symbolizing the journey between conscious awareness and the unconscious mind and echoing the freudian representation of psychoanalysis as an archeological dig.
Tracy’s reflection on the dive encapsulates this: “It sucked getting down there, but yeah, it was worth it.” [...] The BCD like a raft. I need one in real life. Just hit the inflate button and lie back and relax. Let whatever's swimming below do whatever it's going to do.". Here, Tracy wishes for a life raft to rise effortlessly to the surface, mirroring a desire to escape from the depths of emotional turmoil. Yet, as in psychoanalysis, descending into these depths is necessary for healing and self-understanding.
The imagery of the ocean emphasizes the deceptive calmness of the surface, which hides powerful currents beneath: “This small peaceful-looking island, and the surface which reveals nothing, but the water below is rushing between the Pacific and Indian oceans on a geologic scale too enormous to understand from any one place.". The motif of what lurks underneath is also present when Tracy and the others wait for the boat to rescue them. They are adrift on the surface, but their awareness is drawn to the unseen dangers below, evoking the ever-present threat of what remains unresolved or hidden. This creates a sense of vulnerability and suspense, reminding us that beneath any calm exterior lies a world of unknowns that could surface at any moment. Additionally, Tracy’s description of a shark’s eye—“Like gold marble, with a black slit, and like it's only at the surface, with no depth, but also infinitely deep.”—captures this dynamic perfectly. The shark’s eye, both impenetrable and vast, represents a profound mystery that cannot be fully grasped. Tracy compares it to contemplating the stars or the passage of time, underscoring how certain aspects of existence, like the unconscious, remain elusive and unfathomable. The shark's eye, seemingly flat but infinitely deep, symbolizes the tension between surface-level perception and the hidden complexities beneath, much like how the unconscious mind operates beneath conscious awareness.
Vann also plays with the psychological disorientation caused by the depths. When Tracy is submerged in dark waters, her mind begins to betray her: “The water on all sides dark and deep and with shadows moving or appearing to move, my mind playing tricks." This disorienting experience of the unknown, where shadows appear or disappear, mirrors how repressed thoughts or traumas can surface in confusing or distorted ways, causing anxiety and uncertainty. The darkness of the water reflects the unfathomable depths of the mind, where one’s fears and unresolved issues hide, surfacing unpredictably.
-Transition and liminality
In Komodo, transition and liminality are key themes, depicted through Tracy’s movement from fear to awe as she crosses physical and psychological thresholds. For example, after fearing the current, she emerges into a vibrant, peaceful world of fish and corals: “We're on the back side now, protected, no current, and the brightest world of fish and corals. I don't know where to focus.". This shift from fear to wonder highlights the transformative power of crossing liminal spaces. Similarly, when Tracy remarks, “I wish we could experience this on land, flying sideways a few feet over ground, crossing deserts, rising and falling effortlessly and without sound, [...] All the rules of the world changed.", it symbolizes the psychological transition into unfamiliar realms, where new experiences and emotional growth occur. These crossings show how confronting fear leads to awe and personal transformation.
- Boats and drowning
In Komodo, the boat symbolizes safety and a temporary home on the water, offering Tracy comfort despite its instability: "The boat is not going anywhere. We're just tied to a buoy here with another boat tied to our stern and another behind it, all rocking gently and swaying in the breeze". It represents their lifeline after the accident, something they rely on for rescue. However, its rocking instability connects to the motif of sinking, showing that even this source of comfort is unreliable, reflecting the precariousness of safety and the fragility of their situation.
- the hook, the rope, the air tank, the buoy
In Komodo, objects such as the hook, rope, buoy, and air tank become powerful symbols of the struggle for emotional and psychological survival in the face of trauma. Air and the water's surface, recurring motifs, embody consciousness and the hope of restoring normalcy after diving into the depths of trauma. The buoy, or stabilizing vest, represents mental stability: by adding air to stay afloat, Tracy tries to maintain emotional balance. But, like diving equipment, this stability is fragile.
The hook, which dangerously detaches under Roy’s hand, embodies the rupture of support systems that should be secure. Intended to hold the rope and ensure safety, the hook becomes a symbol of vulnerability and betrayal when Roy breaks it. This rupture reflects a loss of support, amplifying Tracy’s feeling of abandonment toward those she trusted. Roy, initially seen as a protective figure, inadvertently becomes a source of danger, exacerbating the already unstable environment. This represents the fragility of trust during moments of distress.
The dynamic between Roy and his sister illustrates the duality of control and abandonment. While Roy " is tumbling with his arms out, showing how fun it is to be blown out of control, " his sister seeks to maintain some form of security in a perilous environment. The rope, hooks, and currents become metaphors for this inner struggle: the fast currents that pull Tracy against the rocks represent the inescapable nature of traumatic memories that engulf her.
The underwater wounds inflicted by the coral, invisible on the surface yet deeply painful, symbolize the psychological damage caused by trauma. The ascent to the surface, fragile and perilous, becomes a metaphor for the healing process, which, like decompression in diving, must be done slowly to avoid further injury. The dark ocean, where the absence of markers and Roy's disappearance plunge Tracy into nothingness, embodies the emotional void and disorientation felt in the face of trauma. Tracy’s mother, frozen in silent panic, illustrates the “freeze” state often associated with traumatic helplessness.
Through these motifs, Vann shows that trauma violates the natural order, creating an almost monstrous sense of rupture where the rules of survival—both physical and emotional—are shattered. The broken hook, unstable buoy, and fragile rope all signal that the support systems, essential for resilience, are as precarious as the natural forces surrounding the characters.
- Flying v. falling
In Komodo, the motifs of flying and falling symbolize liberation and loss of control, two opposing dynamics that reflect the emotional and psychological experiences of the characters. The feeling of flying, particularly underwater, represents moments of freedom and lightness, while falling—whether literal or metaphorical—depicts vulnerability and the mental unraveling associated with trauma.
The motif of flying is explicitly referenced when Tracy and the other divers feel like superheroes, effortlessly gliding through the water: “We're all flying level in prone position, like supermen and superwomen, and it's effortless. One lazy kick of the fins and then just glide, an ease impossible on land." This sense of weightlessness and escape from gravity reflects a temporary state of grace, where both mind and body are harmonized, free from the burdens of earthly responsibilities. This experience of "flying" signifies a moment of pure liberation, typical of Impressionistic Contemplation, where the focus is on the present moment and the joy of being.
In contrast, the motif of falling represents mental degradation and a loss of control. As Tracy approaches an underwater crater, the thought of falling into it evokes both fear and the sense of being drawn into something dangerous: “as I fly out over the
edge I can believe I will fall.”. Falling is a recurring image in the novel, reinforced by Tracy’s memory of falling off a horse, where she clung to what was supposed to secure her but still “slipped”. This memory evokes the sense of betrayal and abandonment she has felt after her father's suicide.
-The motif of the hole
In Komodo, the motif of the hole represents both psychic fragmentation and the potential for transformation. The craters and voids that Tracy encounters serve as powerful symbols of trauma, emptiness, and the depths of the unconscious.
The Hole as a Symbol of Psychic Fragmentation:
Rupture and Impact: The crater, compared to "some impact of an asteroid" evokes the sudden, violent rupture that trauma inflicts on the psyche. This external, destructive force leaves an indelible mark, symbolizing the ways trauma fragments a person's inner world. The perfect circle of the crater suggests an unnatural disruption, a gaping hole in the self.
Vertigo and Terror: As Tracy imagines falling into the crater, the fear of plunging into its depths symbolizes the anxiety of confronting one's unconscious and buried trauma. The possibility of falling represents the terror of being overwhelmed by these hidden parts of oneself, a plunge into emotional chaos.
Falling and Descending into the Unconscious:
Descent into Depths: The rapid descent of the divers mirrors the inescapable plunge into the darkest corners of the unconscious. This descent into deep, obscure waters reflects the exploration of deeply repressed memories and emotions, which are unsettling and difficult to face.
Psychic Transformation: The divers enter a "world of elements changed where we might breathe shards and find metal in our veins.”, which symbolizes the psychic metamorphosis that occurs in confronting trauma. But this descent, as we have seen, is not merely destructive; it reconfigures the mind, suggesting that diving into these depths leads to profound change and reorganization of the self.
The Hole as a Place of Rebirth and Regeneration
Fertile Potential: Despite the terror associated with the hole, it also holds the potential for renewal. Descending into these depths can uncover hidden aspects of oneself, leading to psychological rebirth. Just as divers explore the unknown underwater world, individuals confronting their trauma can find new paths to healing and self-discovery. Like a womb, empty and dark places are represented as a space from which life can emerge.
Exploration and Discovery: Tracy's fascination with the strange and colorful marine life hidden in the shadows symbolizes the richness of what can be uncovered in the unconscious. These discoveries, while daunting, offer a deeper understanding of oneself and the opportunity to reintegrate the fragmented parts of the psyche.
- Marine Life as a Metaphor for Trauma in Komodo
In Komodo, marine life, particularly sharks, the octopus, strange fish, and the menacing ray, symbolizes the hidden and potentially dangerous aspects of the psyche, reflecting the character’s subconscious fears, desires, and trauma. The creatures lurking in the depths mirror the depths of the mind, where trauma resides, often unseen but ever-present.
Tracy's fascination with the blue-ringed octopus—"I want to see a blue-ringed octopus. So poisonous, deadly, and yet no one ever gets bitten."—symbolizes her attraction to the unknown and the dangerous parts of her own psyche. Despite its lethality, the octopus remains harmless, camouflaged and elusive, representing the fear and desire embedded in her subconscious. The description of the octopus, "with these small blue rings all over, as if painted by a child." suggests a playful, almost innocent appearance that masks its deadly nature. This desire to see the octopus shows Tracy’s openness to experience, her willingness to confront her own fears, and her capacity for mindfulness and contemplation. In this sense, the marine life she encounters reflects her curiosity and engagement with the world, a key aspect of Impressionistic Contemplation—where each encounter is cherished as a unique, precious moment.
In contrast, the ray—massive, threatening, and unknown—serves as a direct metaphor for Tracy’s trauma. A "gray demon " with "the most massive body" and a " long barbed tail.", it evokes the way trauma can feel overwhelming and immovable, as if it looms large and paralyzes the individual. The ray’s stationary presence, watching them with "oversized eyes" mirrors the way trauma can remain ever-present in the background, quietly observing, waiting to resurface. Tracy’s fear of the ray, combined with her physical clinging to Roy, represents her struggle with the immense weight of her unresolved trauma, pulling her into a state of fear and psychological stagnation.
At one point, Tracy recognizes her own monstrous potential. As she contemplates the ray, she feels the urge to escape, but Roy insists on staying, fixated on observing the creature. Feeling powerless and afraid of being swept away by the current, Tracy closes Roy's air valve: "So I turn his air valve closed. That will give him the message." Her decision to cut off his air reveals the darker, destructive tendencies within herself—an impulse driven by the immense pressure she feels. The ray, ominous and unyielding, becomes a symbol not only of external trauma but of the monstrous qualities within herself, the shadow she must confront.
The ray’s monstrousness, however, is not without a sense of sublime fascination. There is an ambivalence in Tracy’s reaction, a mix of terror and awe that reflects the complexity of trauma itself. Like the ray, trauma holds a strange beauty in its enormity and its capacity to reconnect one with the vastness of life’s challenges. Tracy’s encounter with the ray evokes this duality: it is terrifying, but it also brings her into direct contact with something greater than herself, the immensity of both the ocean and her inner life.
- Visibility
In Komodo, the motif of visibility symbolizes a reconnection to the senses and the world, suggesting a path toward healing or the hope of it. This contrasts with David Vann’s earlier works, such as Caribou, where blindness and disconnection from the senses represented traumatic dissociation and a rupture from the body and the outer world. In those earlier narratives, blindness underscored the characters' vulnerability and their inability to make sense of the world, emphasizing their isolation and sense of absurdity.
However, in Komodo, the shift to visibility marks a significant change. Underwater, the protagonist observes the world as fragile yet unbroken, with "the visibility endless, a pristine world." This clarity suggests a renewed ability to perceive and engage with the world, representing a reconnection to the senses that contrasts with the earlier themes of disconnection. Later, thanks to "the clarity of the water", the underwater world transforms it into a vivid, expansive landscape, symbolizing the potential for clarity and understanding.
This motif of visibility in Komodo thus signifies a movement towards wholeness, where the characters, once lost in darkness, begin to see and sense the world anew, suggesting the possibility of healing or at least the hope of it.
-Hell and Paradise in Komodo
In Komodo, Vann introduces paradise as a tangible setting, contrasting it with the idea of hell as a mental construct. The islands—“Green-brown islands with exposed rock and a few trees, sculptings of sand edged in bright blue"—represent a serene paradise, symbolizing beauty and the hope for healing. However, Tracy’s observation that “Humans carving out their usual mini-hell in paradise.” highlights how suffering is not inherent in the environment but is a creation of the mind. Unlike Vann’s earlier works, where hell is more explicitly depicted, Komodo presents paradise as external, while hell is mentioned only as something humans impose on themselves, reflecting how inner turmoil can distort even the most idyllic surroundings. This shift emphasizes the potential for healing through reconnection with nature, while acknowledging the persistence of internal struggles.
-Biblical References
In Komodo, Vann draws on biblical imagery to deepen the symbolic layers of the narrative, particularly in its exploration of paradise and the fall from grace. The first part of the novel presents the underwater world as a form of Eden, a serene, untouched paradise full of hope and beauty. The islands' pristine environment and the peaceful exploration of marine life reflect a state of innocence and purity. The underwater world symbolizes the potential for healing and reconnection, much like the Garden of Eden before the fall. This connection is subtly hinted at when Tracy observes the bats returning with “their guts full of forbidden fruit stolen from other islands”, evoking the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the original sin.
In the second part, however, this paradise begins to unravel as Tracy confronts monsters—both external and internal. This descent mirrors the biblical fall from grace, where innocence gives way to sin and violence. Tracy’s encounter with the ray, a terrifying figure lurking in the depths, can be seen as a confrontation with her own darker impulses. As she grapples with her internal demons, she becomes the monster herself, symbolizing a loss of innocence. The narrative also draws parallels with the story of Cain and Abel, as themes of sibling rivalry and fratricide emerge, representing the destructive consequences of this fall. Tracy’s journey from the serene underwater Eden to the monstrous depths mirrors the biblical trajectory from paradise to sin, reinforcing the novel’s exploration of inner conflict and trauma.
-The Motif of Origin
In Komodo, the motif of origin is woven through both Tracy’s exploration of her familial trauma and the primal landscapes she navigates, reflecting a search for the deep roots of suffering and potential healing.
Origin of Trauma and Destructive Behavior: The novel emphasizes the transmission of intergenerational trauma, where unresolved family conflicts perpetuate cycles of pain. Tracy’s violent actions, particularly toward her brother Roy, are tied to this inheritance of emotional wounds. Her internal struggle is rooted in the patterns of destruction passed down through her family, leading her to seek answers by reflecting on her childhood, her parents, and the family dynamics that shaped her. This journey to uncover the origins of her distress is an effort to make sense of her pain and perhaps find a path to healing.
Atavism, Mythology, and the Return to Origins: Komodo’s untamed landscape serves as a metaphor for returning to a more primal, pre-human world. The island and its ancient creatures—“A time machine down here, what the world looked like before." symbolize a return to origins, both natural and psychological. Tracy’s dive into this ancient world mirrors her own confrontation with primal instincts and deep-seated trauma, suggesting a regression to an earlier, more animalistic state. This atavism is further tied to her unconscious behaviors, where trauma triggers violent, instinctual responses inherited from generations past.
Tracy’s fascination with the origins of life, and the primordial world untouched by human corruption, reflects her yearning to understand where things went wrong. Her contemplation of a 400-million-year-old world represents her desire to reconnect with an authentic state of being, free from the trauma that distorts her experience. This search for origins, whether in nature or her own psyche, is ultimately a quest for understanding and reconciling the roots of her suffering.
- The Motif of the World and the Universe
In Komodo, the motif of "world" and "universe" reflects Tracy’s internal struggle with trauma and her journey toward healing. Her perception of the universe is linked to the dissociative state often triggered by trauma, where the forced step back can paradoxically lead to a contemplation of one's place in the world. Though the initial feeling is one of disconnection and alienation, this distancing prompts Tracy to reflect on her relationship with the vast, impersonal world around her. As she observes, the universe becomes a "mirror world" , reflecting her fears and uncertainties within its overwhelming scale. This perception underscores her sense of isolation, as she struggles to find meaning in the external world.
However, this same motif paradoxically serves as a catalyst for healing. The process of dissociation, while alienating, also forces Tracy to question her place in the universe, sparking a deeper desire to reconnect with something greater than herself. The use of the word "world" shifts from emphasizing her detachment to reflecting her growing awareness of the beauty and possibility of renewal. When she immerses herself in water, she sees it as a chance for rebirth: “'Ready,' I say. 'Let me bathe in the pure waters and be reborn.' ” . Her dissociation, while initially isolating, begins to transform into a conscious desire for reconnection, as the universe she once viewed as distant becomes a space for healing and belonging.
By blending isolation and reconnection, the motif of the universe in Komodo captures Tracy’s dual experience of trauma and recovery. The universe represents both the overwhelming nature of her pain and her growing yearning to immerse herself in the world, finding a sense of belonging within something larger than herself.
-Monstrosity
In Komodo, the motif of monstrosity illustrates how trauma can fracture one’s identity, making parts of oneself feel alien and unrecognizable, leading to deep isolation. Tracy’s sense of being monstrous is most evident in her violent impulses—the urge to kill her brother, husband, and eventually, her children. Her mother’s condemnation and the reactions of others, who recoil from her, emphasize how trauma can disconnect someone from their humanity.
Tracy’s description of having hidden, extra limbs inside her body symbolizes the deformed and monstrous parts of herself that she struggles to control. This "thoraxia," a fictional disease, represents how trauma warps her sense of self, making her feel as though she is battling something grotesque within.
On page 199, when Tracy contemplates killing her brother, her mother’s words—"it makes you a monster"—crystallize the horror of her thoughts, further alienating her from her humanity and loved ones. These monstrous impulses are manifestations of her unresolved pain and rage, disconnecting her from others and herself.
However, by the narrative’s end, Tracy refrains from acting on these violent urges, revealing that she is not inherently a monster but a person pushed to the brink by trauma. The notion that "All of humanity [is] turning away from the monster." reflects society’s universal fear of the monstrous, yet Tracy’s restraint ultimately reclaims her humanity, showing that monstrosity is not inherent but a product of extreme circumstances.Tracy’s journey highlights the complex interplay between trauma, identity, and the capacity for redemption, ultimately affirming that even when individuals feel overwhelmed by dark impulses, their humanity remains intact and can prevail.
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WRITING STYLE AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES
-Symbiotic Impressionism:
David Vann's writing in Komodo exemplifies a style I like to call "Symbiotic Impressionism." This narrative technique emphasizes rich, sensory descriptions that evoke a meditative state and a profound connection with the present moment. As opposed to the "Traumatic Impressionism" -another concept I came up with and that I have identified in his earlier works which often depict fragmented, chaotic experiences, Symbiotic Impressionism creates a serene, immersive experience for the reader. Below are the key features that define this style:
-Features of Symbiotic Impressionism:
Rich Sensory Descriptions:
- Definition: Detailed, soothing depictions of the environment and sensations, often connected to nature.
- Example: "Velvet anemones and shrimp invisible except for thin white markings on their claws and tail, the rest made of glass."
- Purpose: Evokes a sense of peace and deep connection with the surroundings, creating a calming and immersive experience.
Flow and Mindfulness:
- Definition: The narrative reflects a state of flow or mindfulness, where the character is fully absorbed in the present.
- Example: "A gentle descent this time, all of us like dancers slipping through the floor, and the world bright blue over sand."
- Purpose: Illustrates the character's harmony with their environment, promoting a sense of tranquility and detachment from internal turmoil.
Natural Metaphors and Comparisons:
- Definition: Use of metaphors and comparisons that draw from nature to enhance the sense of unity with the natural world.
- Example: "Coral mounts of yellow and green populated like miniature cities."
- Purpose: Creates vivid mental images that intensify the sensory experience, grounding the reader in the beauty of the natural world.
Absence of Tension:
- Definition: A lack of conflict or tension within the narrative, reinforcing an atmosphere of calm.
- Example: "No current here, only a peaceful world more colorful than anything on land."
- Purpose: Emphasizes the serenity and beauty of the moment, providing a stark contrast to the tension often found in trauma-focused narratives.
5. Attention to Bodily Sensations
- Definition: A focus on physical experiences and sensations that grounds the character in the present moment and heightens their awareness of their own body.
- Example: “I plug my nose and blow to let out the wee beasties, feel the pleasure of not having my head blow up.”
- Purpose: This attention to bodily sensations fosters a meditative engagement with the immediate experience, encouraging mindfulness and a release from mental preoccupations.
-Differences from Traumatic Impressionism:
Tone and Atmosphere:
- Traumatic Impressionism: Dark, chaotic, emotionally charged.
- Symbiotic Impressionism: Peaceful, harmonious, soothing.
Narrative Structure:
- Traumatic Impressionism: Fragmented, reflecting the disordered nature of traumatic memories.
- Symbiotic Impressionism: Fluid, continuous, reflecting harmony and mindfulness.
Sensory Focus:
- Traumatic Impressionism: Intense, often disturbing sensations.
- Symbiotic Impressionism: Pleasant, calming sensations that promote relaxation.
-Connection to Trauma:
While Traumatic Impressionism focuses on the chaos and fragmentation caused by trauma, Symbiotic Impressionism can be seen as a response to trauma—a method of healing and restoring connection to the self and the world. It offers a therapeutic contrast, emphasizing peace, clarity, and mindfulness, which can help in reconciling the fragmented self and finding moments of beauty and serenity amid life’s turmoil.
In summary, Symbiotic Impressionism is characterized by its emphasis on harmony, tranquility, and mindfulness, providing a stark yet healing contrast to the chaos depicted in Traumatic Impressionism. It shows how moments of peace and beauty can serve as a counterbalance to trauma, offering a path to healing and reintegration.
-Dirty realism
In Komodo, David Vann’s use of dirty realism creates a stark alternation with moments of awe and beauty, capturing the non-linear, fractured path of trauma and healing. Through gritty, unembellished depictions of dingy toilets, bodily discomfort, and unsettling surroundings, Vann's prose rejects any attempt to make life appear sanitized or polite. This raw, often uncomfortable realism parallels the protagonist’s detachment and emotional numbness, as though the narrative itself is anesthetized against traditional aesthetics. Dirty realism here acts as a transgressive force, subverting societal expectations of cleanliness and beauty and revealing the blunt, unsightly aspects of everyday existence.
This realism functions as more than style; it embodies the paradox of trauma, which inflicts both visceral fragmentation and a dissociative detachment from one's environment. The novel’s alternation between these jarring moments of stark realism and serene, awe-filled descriptions of nature captures the erratic, layered nature of healing, where the beauty of sensory immersion and the brutal honesty of raw perception coexist. Vann’s ability to pivot from rawness to beauty without idealization keeps the narrative honest, portraying healing not as a straightforward path but as one that oscillates between extremes. Through this dynamic, Komodo captures the ambivalent reality of trauma and recovery, holding space for both harshness and transcendence in Tracy’s journey, reflecting that healing is an ongoing confrontation between beauty and rawness, awe and estrangement, and the potential for renewal amid life’s harshness.
- Nature Writing
In Komodo, David Vann’s use of nature writing goes beyond traditional depictions of the environment as a mere backdrop. Nature writing, typically focused on capturing the intricacies of the natural world with reverence, often draws on sensory detail to evoke the environment's transformative potential. Vann’s approach, however, introduces nature as a mirror of Tracy's internal landscape and as a vehicle for her complex relationship with trauma, oscillating between estrangement and the desire for unity.
Vann uses nature as both a literal and symbolic refuge for Tracy, allowing her to experience brief moments of interconnectedness and solace amid her inner turmoil. For instance, her dream of gliding effortlessly over water “like a manta ” embodies a yearning for symbiosis with the natural world, where her limitations and the weight of her life momentarily dissolve. In this vision, nature represents a space beyond isolation—a place of unity and transcendence that promises freedom from her daily struggles and the alienation she feels within her family. Here, Vann taps into nature’s symbolic potential as a realm of transformation, portraying it as a place where the protagonist can glimpse an idealized version of herself unencumbered by trauma and loneliness.
However, Vann’s nature writing in Komodo also reflects the fragmented experience of trauma, as Tracy’s connection to the natural world is not sustained but punctuated by feelings of separation and dissociation. The ocean, islands, and animal life oscillate between sources of beauty and metaphors for isolation and distance. This duality captures the unpredictability of healing, where moments of peace and unity coexist with persistent disconnection. The natural world, while at times a source of comfort and awe, ultimately remains a space she must return from, underscoring the impermanence of these transformative experiences.
- The aesthetics of the sublime
In Komodo, David Vann uses the aesthetics of the sublime to evoke both awe and existential dread, crafting a narrative that taps into humanity’s profound attraction to forces beyond comprehension. The sublime in literature traditionally describes moments where beauty and terror coalesce, confronting characters with something greater than themselves, often tied to nature’s overwhelming scale or the unknown. In Vann's portrayal, this experience is intensely personal, serving as a channel through which Tracy confronts her traumas and her fragile sense of self.
Vann’s sublime landscapes, especially the island’s tumultuous underwater currents, are depicted as vast, uncontrollable forces beyond human understanding: “This small peaceful-looking island, and the surface which reveals nothing, but the water below is rushing between the Pacific and Indian oceans on a geologic scale too enormous to understand from any one place." This unsettling grandeur suggests both the limits of human control and the sense of helplessness that mirrors Tracy’s inner world. Just as these currents remain untamed and mysterious, so too does her trauma, which exerts a force within her that defies logic or containment. Vann likens these forces to the divine, a comparison that imbues the natural world with an almost sacred power, one that inspires reverence but also highlights Tracy’s vulnerability.
Vann’s use of the sublime extends beyond nature and into intimate aspects of Tracy’s life, particularly in her view of her twin sons. Tracy finds the “idea of identical twins terrifying, the total loss of individuality” (p.238), as if they represent a natural anomaly that defies logic and even feels unnatural to her. This fascination with the twins echoes the sublime’s capacity to evoke both attraction and fear, as she perceives them as mysterious entities whose resemblance she finds unnerving. Their twinness becomes a symbol of the paradoxical nature of the sublime, where familiarity slips into alienation, and unity borders on loss of self.
Through these juxtapositions, Komodo captures how the sublime intertwines beauty with terror, compelling Tracy to confront both her smallness within the vast natural order and the unsettling mysteries within her own life. Vann’s depiction of the sublime thus resonates deeply with the novel’s exploration of trauma, framing Tracy’s psychological journey as one of navigating between awe and dread, where healing is not a simple discovery of beauty but a continuous confrontation with forces she cannot fully understand or control. This complex dynamic reinforces the novel’s portrayal of trauma as an existential rift, one that elicits both wonder and fear, underscoring that healing often involves reckoning with the unknown depths of one’s own psyche as much as with the surrounding world.
- Internal focalization
In Komodo, the story is narrated by a first-person narrator, Tracy, who is also the protagonist. This narrative choice uses internal focalization, meaning that all events are filtered directly through her thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. This approach allows the reader to experience the story as Tracy does, capturing the fragmented and intense nature of her inner world shaped by trauma. The narrative becomes intimate and subjective, enabling the reader to feel her internal struggles and shifts in perspective as if from within her own mind.
- Narrative dissociation
Narrative dissociation can be understood as a subgenre of stream-of-consciousness writing, where, like the traditional form, it seeks to capture the flux of thoughts, sensations, and emotions within a character’s mind. Both techniques aim to portray the complexity of internal experience, showing how a character’s perceptions, memories, and expectations intertwine in a way that mirrors the mind's natural flow. However, narrative dissociation diverges significantly from stream of consciousness by focusing on disjunction and fragmentation rather than continuity, which reflects both the feeling of dissociation from one's environment and the way that traumatic memories intrude upon the present, causing a split or "doubling" in consciousness.
In Komodo, David Vann uses narrative dissociation to portray Tracy’s fragmented mental state. The technique allows readers to experience the juxtaposition of her violent impulses against serene surroundings, as seen on page 68, where her calmness underwater abruptly gives way to unsettling thoughts of harming her family. This clash illustrates how her mind veers between starkly different emotional states, mirroring the fractured self-perception that trauma imposes.
- Reintroduction of punctuation
In Komodo, the reintroduction of punctuation marks, especially dashes in dialogue, signifies a meaningful departure from Vann’s previous works, where the absence of punctuation created an effect of timeless, suspended echoes of family mythologies. Here, dialogue is grounded in a specific temporality, emphasizing the sequence of events and their consequences. By moving away from the fixed, eternal dimension of a traumatic past, Vann introduces the potential for narrative evolution and hope, suggesting that the characters are no longer condemned to endlessly repeat the same patterns but can envision a future in motion.
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