Doodles as the Cathartic Narrative by Taniya Ghorai

Description

Doodles as the Cathartic Narrative by Taniya Ghorai

This book investigates doodles are powerful narrative and psychological practice that transcends its conventional dismissal as idle or decorative expression. Positioned at the intersection of literary studies, visual culture, and psychology, this book argues that doodles function as cathartic narratives—non-verbal yet deeply expressive forms through which emotions are processed, negotiated, and released.

Focusing on selected novels by Karen Romano Young, the study examines how visual storytelling operates alongside textual narration to articulate inner emotional states, particularly those marked by anxiety, vulnerability, and self-reflection. The doodles embedded within these narratives are read not as marginal embellishments but as integral storytelling devices that shape character psychology, narrative rhythm, and reader engagement. By foregrounding the therapeutic and expressive dimensions of doodling, the book highlights its role as a medium of emotional resilience, especially within adolescent and coming-of-age narratives.

Drawing upon theories of catharsis, graphic narrative, and psychology, the book offers an interdisciplinary framework that bridges literary criticism with psychological inquiry. It also situates doodling within a broader historical and cultural context, tracing its evolution from marginal scribbles to a legitimate form of visual communication. Through close textual and visual analysis, the study demonstrates how doodles create spaces for emotional release where language alone may fall short.

Intended for scholars of literature, visual culture, psychology, and education, “”Doodles as Cathartic Narrative”” contributes to contemporary debates on multimodal storytelling and challenges traditional hierarchies that privilege text over image. Ultimately, the book invites readers to reconsider the doodle—not as trivial, but as a meaningful and transformative narrative act.

About the Author

Taniya Ghorai is a scholar of English Literature whose academic work engages with contemporary literary criticism, classical drama, and the study of culture in literary texts. Her academic work is grounded in close textual analysis and interdisciplinary approaches that draw from cultural studies, postcolonial theory, and affect studies.
She has co-authored the book Cultural Athenaeum, which includes her research paper titled “A Greek Odyssey in the American West: The Literary Voyage of Diasporic Identity.” The paper examines questions of displacement, identity, and cultural negotiation within diasporic narratives, reflecting her sustained engagement with transnational literature and identity formation. This work contributes to broader discussions on migration, belonging, and literary representations of cultural memory. Doodles as the Cathartic Narrative: Emotional Release through Visual Storytelling emerges from her broader engagement with literature as a medium of emotional articulation and narrative innovation. The book represents her commitment to literary scholarship that is theoretically informed, critically rigorous, and responsive to contemporary forms of storytelling.