Presentation Date: Feb 14, 2026
AGSA Abstract
Pina by Titaua Peu stands out as a masterpiece of Polynesian literature due to its unflinching portrayal of the harsh and grim realities of the Polynesian space, which has been frequently exoticized by the Western world. Unlike many contemporary Polynesian works that focus solely on the idyllic beauty and paradisiacal aspects of the Polynesian islands, Peu’s novel foregrounds the negative impact and lingering consequences of colonial history, revealing that its effects still shape the physical lives, minds and emotions of the Polynesian people. Through the character of Auguste, the novel depicts how colonial oppression and subjugation of the Polynesian population has left a transgenerational trauma that has been internalized and passed down from one generation to another. How did Auguste inherit transgenerational trauma? What triggers his transgenerational trauma ? What is the role of childhood trauma in his violent transformation? What are the consequences of these inherited traumas in his life ? To answer these questions I will undertake a literary analysis of the novel, Pina observing how Auguste transforms from an average father to a dangerous personality, an abuser and a serial killer. Drawing from Ruth Leys, Sigmund Freud and Marianne Hirch trauma theories, I argue that Auguste’s violent transformation in the novel Pina is rooted in his childhood traumatic experiences and his family’s intergenerational trauma, thereby reframing him as a victim of personal and inherited psychological wounds.
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