“Masked Orgies” The Carnivalesque in Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Abstract

The article explores the influence of the carnivalesque tradition on character portrayal in Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. The theoretical framework is the nexus between feminist criticism and Mikhail Bakhtin´s theory of the carnivalesque. The symbolism of a mask appears an important vehicle to understanding the imagery of the novel. The female protagonist, private investigator Robin Ellacott, becomes a primary example of a fluid and dynamic identity. All characters of the novel can be compared to participants of a carnival disguised as figures from fairy tales and chivalric narratives. The female detective unmasks double, illusive, or palimpsestic identities both at work and in private life.