Psychological Analysis of the Two Main Characters’ Personalities in Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on analyzing the psychological changes of the two main characters’ personalities in Nicola Yoon’s debut young adult novel Everything, Everything (2015). It also explores the glow up of the American Young Adult literature as a new phenomenon in the twentieth century, as it highlights some of its greatest authors and their outstanding works. The main approach used to conduct this study is the psychoanalytical approach. Accordingly, the study investigates how the mother, Pauline, dealt with the death of her husband and son using different types of defense mechanisms, which Sigmund Freud introduced. Pauline’s way of dealing with her grief affects her life and her relationship with her daughter. Her fear of losing another loved one caused her to misdiagnose her daughter with the rare disease SCID and to be trapped in a bubble, she created. The study also aims at examining the personality development of the daughter, Madeline, using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. It seeks to shed light on the ability of Madeline to meet all her needs and move to higher stages and realize her self- actualization despite her inability to leave her house for eighteen years. Finally, the dissertation finds out that Yoon’s novel Everything, Everything has inspired and has taught young adults social and family relationships and that everything is risky including life and love.