Attachment Styles and Psychological Development of Jaron Eckbert in Jennifer A. Nielsen’s The Runaway King

Aulia Maharani Harahap, Suardi Suardi


Abstract


Attachment theory explains how individuals establish, maintain, and respond to emotional bonds throughout life. This study aims to analyze the attachment styles portrayed by Jaron Eckbert in The Runaway King novel by Jennifer A. Nielsen, including their causes and development throughout the narrative. The study applies John Bowlby’s attachment theory, which explains how early relational experiences influence later interpersonal behavior. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method because it provides a flexible and in-depth framework to analyze complex character like Jaron Eckbert. Each datum represents a single instance of attachment-related behavior identified through the character’s monologues, dialogues, and interactions. The findings reveal 83 instances of attachment-related behaviors, consisting of 35 disorganized attachments, 23 secure attachments, 14 avoidant attachments, and 11 anxious attachments, with disorganized attachment emerging as the dominant pattern and anxious attachment as the least. The findings further indicate that Jaron’s attachment styles are shaped by emotional distance, traumatic experiences, and unstable relational environments. Ultimately, the study concludes that Jaron’s attachment behavior is not static but oscillates between different attachment styles before gradually developing toward greater emotional security. This study contributes to literary psychological criticism by demonstrating that attachment styles in literary characters are dynamic and context-dependent rather than fixed personality traits.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/jol.v8i2.13869

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