Abstract
This research explores the theme of a dysfunctional family in the novel The Discomfort of Evening (2020) by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. The research focuses on the psychological impacts of family dysfunction, particularly on the children, through the lens of Sigmund Freud’s Mourning and Melancholia theory. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method to analyse how unresolved trauma, lack of emotional support, and communication breakdown contribute to the deterioration of family relationships. The results indicate that the main character, Jas, suffers from emotional detachment and feelings of alienation as a result of her parents’ abilities to cope with grief. The novel highlights the interplay between internal and external factors, such as religious constraints and social isolation, that reinforce the family's dysfunction. Additionally, the research explores how these psychological challenges result in identity loss, emotional detachment, and an overwhelming sense of entrapment. This literary research provides insight into the psychological consequences of dysfunctional families and how to address grief healthily to prevent long-term emotional damage.
Key words: Dysfunctional family, grief, emotional detachment, trauma, identity crisis, Mourning and Melancholia theory.