https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.051
Surveillance, Discipline, and Survival in Never Fall Down: A Foucauldian Reading of Panoptic Power
JAYANTH ANTO VIJAY J
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Bishop Ambrose College, Coimbatore
E-mail: antovj027@gmail.com
ABARNA K
PhD Research Scholar
Department of English
PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore
E-mail: abarna18phd@gmail.com
Abstract: Jeremy Bentham and Michel Foucault’s idea of the Panopticon is used in this research to study Never Fall Down, a story of an eleven-year-old boy, written by Patricia McCormick. This article argues that Never Fall Down represents the Khmer Rouge regime as a ‘literary panopticon’, where surveillance is internalised through child informants, linguistic control, and compulsory performance, producing self-regulating subjects. The Panopticon is a form of prison design where the prisoners are watched all the time by the guards. The narrative shows how prolonged surveillance and the imposition of power of authority can impact behaviours, thoughts and feelings. The Khmer Rouge snatched the identities of the people. They made them dress in the same clothes, forget their real names, and follow strict routines. Arn learns to internalise the rules, changing the way he behaves and talks to survive. Over time, he becomes what Foucault calls a ‘docile body,’ shaped by fear and discipline. The novel also highlights moments where this control is not complete. Obedience is not the only factor that Arn develops to survive. He learns to hold on to small memories, feelings, and connections with others. Arn’s character arc reminds us that resistance is possible even in extreme control.
Keywords: Panopticon, Surveillance, Internalisation, Docile Body, Power, Self-regulation
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