Jejak digital: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin
Vol. 1 No. 4 (2025): JULI

Psychological Manipulation in Psychological Thrillers: A Case Study of “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden

Siti Alifia Ananda Ardiani (Unknown)
Otong Setiawan Djauhari (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Jun 2025

Abstract

Psychological thrillers as a genre have become a powerful vehicle for exploring the dynamics of power, trauma, and manipulation in human relationships. This article discusses psychological manipulation in the psychological thriller genre, focusing on Freida McFadden's novel The Housemaid. The main issue raised is how manipulation is constructed and displayed through the psychological behavior of the characters. The purpose of this study is to uncover the narrative techniques and psychological strategies used by the author in building tension and directing the reader's perception. This study uses a qualitative method with a psychological literary approach, analyzing the behavior of the main characters, namely Andrew Winchester, Millie, and Nina in their interactions to identify elements of manipulation. The results show that McFadden effectively uses unreliable narratives, character isolation, and changing power dynamics to enhance psychological tension. The conclusion shows that these elements work together to create an intense and disturbing reading experience, and reveal the important role of manipulation in the psychological thriller genre.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jejakdigital

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin adalah jurnal elektronik dan cetak Open Access Journal yang diterbitkan oleh Indo Publishing setiap 6 kali dalam setahun menyediakan forum untuk mempublikasikan artikel penelitian asli, artikel review dari kontributor, dan berita teknologi baru mencangkup multidisiplin ...