ANALYSIS OF THE EMOTIONS OF AN IMMIGRANT AS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN JESSICA GEORGE’S MAAME

Friska Muslia Wanda; Dahlia Husain; Ana Mariana; Atiq Aqiqotul Hasanah; Hasna Nurain Mukhsin

ANALYSIS OF THE EMOTIONS OF AN IMMIGRANT AS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN JESSICA GEORGE’S MAAME

Friska Muslia Wanda, Dahlia Husain, Ana Mariana, Atiq Aqiqotul Hasanah, Hasna Nurain Mukhsin

Abstract

This study analyzes the emotional dynamics of Maddie, the main character in Jessica George’s novel Maame, through David Krech’s classification of emotions and a literary psychology approach. The research uses a descriptive qualitative design, with close reading employed to identify narrative expressions of emotion and categorize them as basic, sensory-related, self-evaluative, or interpersonal. Thirteen emotions are identified. Sadness is the most dominant, particularly in relation to bereavement, alienation, and identity conflict; anger and fear also recur strongly, whereas joy is brief and situational. Pain, disgust, and pleasure demonstrate the bodily dimension of emotional pressure, while pride, shame, guilt, and regret reveal Maddie’s continuing self-evaluation. Love and hate further show how relationships can become sources of belonging, rejection, and resistance. Read alongside literature on acculturation, second-generation identity, intergenerational conflict, discrimination, and social support, Maddie’s emotions reflect a psychological struggle that is simultaneously personal, familial, social, and cultural.

Keywords

emotion; immigrant; literary psychology; David Krech; Maame

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