A gist of

Frederick, Suresh (2023). “A Behavioural Analysis of Pira in Margaret Laurence’s “Godman’s Master””, Journal of New Zealand Studies.(ISSN: 2324-3740). Vol. 35, Issue 1, 2023. 1-8.

Dr. Suresh Frederick’s paper “A Behavioural Analysis of Pira in Margaret Laurence’s ‘Godman’s Master’” examines the character of Pira, the dwarf-oracle, through the lens of behavioural psychology. Behaviourism, as developed by Pavlov, Thorndike, Watson, and Skinner, insists that human behaviour is conditioned by environmental stimuli. As Tolman observed, “everything important in psychology … can be investigated in essence through the continued experimental and theoretical analysis of the determiners of behaviour at a choice point in a maze”. Pira’s responses to captivity, liberation, and eventual adaptation illustrate precisely how conditioning and environment determine behaviour.

In the story, Moses Adu, an African educated in Europe, returns to his homeland determined to free his people from superstition through science. His encounter with Pira reveals the stark clash between bondage and freedom. Pira, confined for years in a wooden box by a priest who exploited him as an oracle, epitomises deprivation and manipulation. His condition reflects what Sellars calls “behavioural criteria” for psychological states: his stunted growth, ruined lungs, and fearful responses are outward signs of deep psychological conditioning.

When Moses impulsively frees him, Pira initially expresses overwhelming gratitude. Yet his behaviour demonstrates what psychologists term “learned helplessness”. Having “always belonged” to a master, he quickly transfers dependency onto Moses, pleading to remain as his servant. Eleanor Roosevelt’s dictum, “with freedom comes responsibility”, resonates here, for Pira resists responsibility, preferring the security of servitude to the uncertainties of autonomy. Moses, recognising this, insists that “there is more to freedom than not living in a box,” underscoring that freedom entails self-ownership and self-control.

Pira’s reluctance dramatises what Stovel calls “the desirability of freedom and the inescapable security of bondage”. Behaviourally, his repeated conditioning under successive masters has eroded his capacity to act independently. Moses’s role as reluctant liberator parallels the predicament of postcolonial leaders, compelled to guide societies unprepared for the responsibilities of independence. Laurence, herself a writer of postcolonial settings, situates this narrative within the larger framework of New Literatures, where the legacy of colonial domination lingers in behavioural and cultural dependencies.

The turning point occurs when Moses later finds Pira as part of a travelling troupe. Though physically restricted by performance, Pira has gained psychological freedom. He works, earns, and carries himself with dignity. As Donez Xiques notes, he is now “happy and content”. This shift demonstrates that behaviour can be reshaped when the environment fosters empowerment rather than servitude. In Skinnerian terms, positive reinforcement, the approval of audiences, the security of livelihood, conditions Pira toward confidence and autonomy.

Dr. Suresh Frederick concludes that Pira’s trajectory from captivity to reluctant dependency and finally to adaptive agency illustrates the complex interplay between environment, behaviour, and freedom. Pira embodies the paradox of liberation: the terrifying responsibilities of independence versus the deceptive safety of bondage. Behavioural analysis reveals that true freedom lies not in the absence of constraints, but in the capacity to claim responsibility and self-ownership. Pira’s eventual assertion of identity, however modest, signifies resilience and the possibility of self-empowerment even after long conditioning.

Hand-out: A Behavioural Analysis of Pira in Godman’s Master by Margaret Laurence

Introduction

· Godman’s Master is a short story by Canadian writer Margaret Laurence (1926–1987), set in Africa.

· It tells the story of Pira, a dwarf exploited as a prophetic oracle, and Moses Adu, a European-educated African who frees him.

· Dr. Suresh Frederick analyses Pira’s character using behavioural psychology to show how conditioning and environment shape human behaviour.

Behaviourism and Behavioural Analysis

· Behaviourism: A psychological theory (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Tolman) that all behaviour is learned through interaction with the environment.

· Behavioural psychology focuses on conditioning: behaviour as a response to stimuli and reinforcement.

· Relevant ideas:

o Learned helplessness – repeated oppression creates passivity and dependency.

o Positive reinforcement – supportive environments can foster confidence and independence.

Pira’s Conditioning in Captivity

· Pira (the “Godman”) has lived in a box, controlled by priests who use him as an oracle.

· His environment of fear and confinement has destroyed his health and self-confidence.

· His identity is defined entirely by his role as a servant to others.

Freedom vs. Bondage

· Moses Adu frees Pira, but Pira’s behaviour reveals psychological dependency:

o He begs Moses to let him stay on as a servant.

o He equates survival with belonging to a “master”.

· Moses insists: “There is more to freedom than not living in a box”.

· Theme: Freedom is frightening because it requires responsibility. (Roosevelt: “With freedom comes responsibility”.)

Pira’s Transformation

· Later, Moses finds Pira in a travelling troupe.

· Though still bound by performance, Pira now works, earns, and carries himself with dignity.

· His new environment provides positive reinforcement — giving him a sense of worth and independence.

· Pira’s behaviour shows adaptation, resilience, and gradual self-ownership.

Conclusion

· Pira symbolises the struggles of marginalised individuals and postcolonial societies.

· His journey illustrates:

1. Conditioning creates helplessness.

2. Sudden freedom is difficult without responsibility.

3. A supportive environment can enable empowerment.

· Through behavioural analysis, Pira’s story becomes an allegory of the paradox of freedom — the tension between the comfort of bondage and the challenges of autonomy.

Key Takeaway for Students:
Margaret Laurence’s Godman’s Master uses Pira to dramatise how environment and conditioning shape human behaviour. Freedom is not merely the absence of physical chains, but the ability to claim responsibility and identity.