Insecure Attachment of a Transracial Adoptee in Inconvenient Daughter (2021) by Lauren J. Sharkey

Abstract

This study investigates the experience and causes of insecure attachment in a transracial adoptee that is depicted in Lauren J. Sharkey novel, Inconvenient Daughter (2021). This study aims to analyze the causes of insecure attachment such as the loss of homeland and identity confusion related to navigating dual cultural identities of her birth culture and adoptive culture, and how insecure attachment is experienced by a child for being a transracial adoptee and consequently it affects the child mental state and interpersonal relationship because of the child difficult past, and how the child progress through her life from her younger years and advance until her adult years with her experiencing various insecure attachment styles. This study is based on John Bowlby's Attachment Theory and a psychoanalytic lens. Using a qualitative method by analyzing textual elements like narration, dialogue, and character interactions, the study aims to demonstrate the profound long term impact of early attachment issues on the emotional health and relational patterns of transracial adoptees. This study concludes that transracial adoption profoundly affects emotional development and identity formation. The absence of cultural connection and consistent parental affection leads to the emergence of insecure attachment patterns that continue into adulthood, emphasizing the long-term psychological effects of adoption, cultural loss, and the search for belonging.