The Consequences of Parental Neglect to A Child in Lionel Shriver's Novel We Need to Talk About Kevin

Raisya, Arfi Khairan (2026) The Consequences of Parental Neglect to A Child in Lionel Shriver's Novel We Need to Talk About Kevin. S1 thesis, Universitas Andalas.

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Abstract

This research analyzes the possible causes of Eva’s emotional neglect and its impact on Kevin’s psychosocial development in Lionel Shriver’s novel We Need to Talk About Kevin. This research applies psychoanalytic literary criticism, utilizing Sigmund Freud’s theory of human psyche (id, ego, and superego), Lois Tyson’s core issues of anxiety theory, and Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development theory. Eva’s maternal ambivalence reflects her inner conflict between personal freedom and parental responsibility, while her emotional alienation from Kevin represents her fear of intimacy in forming a secure bond with her own child. Eva’s emotional neglect severely affects Kevin’s psychosocial development negatively in the first five stages, resulting him to develop a personality disorder, marked by destructive and manipulative behavior. This research highlights how parental neglect can deeply affects a child’s growth, underlining the importance of a secure emotional relationship between caregivers and children.

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