To Capture A Ring: A Novel Exploring the Effects of Quarter Life Crisis of a Young Adult on Her Relationship
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/katakita.13.3.401-407Keywords:
causes, coping mechanism, novel, symptoms, quarter life crisisAbstract
This thesis explores the quarter life crisis (QLC), a common struggle for people in their mid-20s to early 30s who feel stuck and uninspired. Using quarter life crisis theory, it will examine the symptoms, causes, and coping mechanisms to this issue. The research will take the form of a contemporary romance novel, focusing on the main character, Faye. The story follows Faye, who found herself caught between pursuing her dreams and advancing her career, while her mother constantly pressured her to settle down, especially after receiving a wedding invitation from her younger cousin, Maudy. This event intensifies Faye’s internal conflict, making her question her life choices between following her dreams or settling down. Through the story, it can be seen that Faye’s quarter life crisis symptoms are uncertainty feelings, depression and relation concerns. The causes from her QLC are the fear of stepping into a new phase of life, a feeling of disappointment, as well as the potential for more changes ahead. Faye’s coping mechanisms through her QLC are acknowledging the existence of QLC and seeking help.
References
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
Bee, Z. (2020, November 22). Why a quarter-life crisis is a time to take control. Medium. https://medium.com/illumination/why-a-quarter-life-crisis-is-a-time-to-take-control-5fb0730814b8
Bressmer, A. (2022, January 14). Examples of metaphors in literature. ProWritingAid: The AI-Powered Writing Assistant. https://prowritingaid.com/metaphor-examples
Cavannagh, M. (2024, November 4). Man vs. man: The most popular conflict in literature. Reedsy. https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/conflict/man-vs-man/
Cherry, K. (2023, December 4). How people develop an identity or cope with role confusion. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/identity-versus-confusion-2795735
Diaz, J. (2023, June 3). Link: 40+ romance novel sales statistics [2023]. Sweet Savage Flame. https://sweetsavageflame.com/link-40-romance-novel-readers-and-sales-statistics-2023
Grand, K. (2023, March 10). What is contemporary romance? A grand romance. A Grand Romance. https://agrandromance.com/what-is-contemporary-romance/
Hammond, C. (2019, June 3). Does reading fiction make us better people? BBCpage. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190523-does-reading-fiction-make-us-better-people
Herdian, H., & Wijaya, D. A. P. (2022). “I am mentally healthy, so I can choose well.” Quarter-life crisis and positive mental health in students. Dalat University Journal of Science, 13(3), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.37569/DalatUniversity.13.3.1038(2023)
Indeed Team. (2023, August 5). What is the third-person omniscient point of view? Indeed.com.https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/third-person-omniscient
Indraswari, D. L. (2023, July 10). Awareness about mental health starts to grow. kompas.id. https://www.kompas.id/baca/english/2023/07/10/en-kesadaran-tentang-kesehatan-mental-mulai-tumbuh
Mance, G. (2022, December). The growth of mental health awareness. Howard Magazine. https://magazine.howard.edu/stories/the-growth-of-mental-health-awareness
Prahl, A. (2024, June 7). What is a novel? definition and characteristics. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-novel-4685632#:~:text=A%20novel%20is%20a%20narrative,experiences%20over%20a%20considerable%20length.
Ramadanti, R. (2023). Quarter life crisis. Welcome to Etheses IAIN Kediri - Etheses IAIN Kediri. https://etheses.iainkediri.ac.id/11150/3/933419318_bab2%5B1%5D.pdf
Robbins, A., & Wilner, A. (2001). Quarterlife crisis: The unique challenges of life in your twenties. Google Books. https://books.google.co.id/books/about/Quarterlife_Crisis.html?id=SIvkc_qDRpUC&redir_esc=y
Villirilli, D. (2024, November 4). Man vs. self: The ultimate inner conflict in literature. Reedsy. https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/conflict/man-vs-self/Why are romance novels so popular? (2024, September 16). Literature & Latte. https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/why-are-romance-novels-so-popular
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).












