Putri, Marshela Candra Aulia (2026) NORA SEED’S DENIAL REFLECTED IN MATT HAIG’S THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY (2020). Undergraduate thesis, Diponegoro University.

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Abstract

People frequently employ psychological defense mechanisms to handle emotional pain, one of which is denial. That idea is represented through Nora Seed, the main character in Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library (2020), who shows denial as a reaction to different life challenges. This thesis discusses characteristics, causes, and impacts of Nora Seed’s denial. A descriptive qualitative method was applied using a literary psychology approach. The narrative elements were analyzed using Taylor’s theory, while the extrinsic elements employed Anna Freud’s theory of defense mechanisms. The result indicates that Nora comes across as a round character who changes through both internal and external conflicts. Nora’s denial is characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities and by denial enacted through words and acts. Her denials are caused by internal pressures and external, overwhelming reality. Furthermore, denial provides temporary emotional relief while also distorting reality, yet in the end, transformation through insight. In conclusion, denial functions both as a psychological protection and as a mechanism that ultimately contributes to Nora’s personal growth.
Keywords: defense mechanism, denial, literary psychology, The Midnight Library

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