Interpersonal Breakdown in Novel Lucy by the Sea (2022) by Elizabeth Strout

An individual's psychological health can be affected by social interactions, but the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in modern life has made interpersonal interactions more difficult due to social isolation. The sudden emergence of COVID-19 has caused trauma to resurface and led to interpersonal breakdowns. This study analyzes the novel Lucy by the Sea (2022) by Elizabeth Strout, aiming to explore the types of trauma experienced by the characters and how trauma causes interpersonal breakdowns in their relationships. This study uses Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, Judith Herman's trauma theory, and Harry Stack Sullivan's theory of interpersonal breakdown to understand how repressed trauma resurfaces from the unconscious, haunts individuals, and affects their interpersonal relationships. This study uses a descriptive-qualitative method. The findings of the study identify three types of trauma, loss trauma, childhood trauma, and relational trauma. These trauma causes effects such as emotional distance, trust issues, feelings of inadequacy, and social withdrawal, which ultimately leading to interpersonal breakdown.