Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Studying Host-Microbe Interactions in Wound Biofilm Formation
Published on: June 16, 2023
Life of Pi and the moral wound
Abstract:
The "moral wound," rendered symbolically in the form of the tiger in Life of Pi, is a complex trauma in which the victim, in order to survive in life-threatening circumstances, commits an ethical transgression against his or her deeply held values. Pi experiences such a trauma and deals with it by dissociating it in the form of the tiger and then has to simultaneously both preserve the tiger and wish it to disappear. Jonathan Shay's work relating the experiences of returning Vietnam veterans to Homer's Odyssey is used to further an understanding of both Life of Pi and American soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reasons are considered for the possible delayed effect of trauma as a factor in the increased suicide rate of older veterans. Finally, the concept of the "moral wound" is discussed, with an eye to its treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Pre-Conventional Level
At the pre-conventional level, morality is primarily driven by personal...
Ethical Dilemmas II
Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Major Losses in Pipes
Fluid flow can be classified as laminar or turbulent, primarily based on the Reynolds number. This dimensionless number reflects the relative influence of inertial to...
Bonanno's Theory of Grieving
Resilience

