PANOPTICON: Journal of English Studies
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2025): PANOPTICON: JOURNAL OF ENGLISH STUDIES

The Obsessive Behaviors in Jade Halley Bartlett’s Miller’s Girl (2024): A Psychoanalytic Perspective




Article Info

Publish Date
10 Dec 2025

Abstract

This study examines the portrayal of obsessive behavior in Jade Halley Bartlett’s Miller’s Girl (2024), focusing on the psychological dynamics between the two central characters, Cairo and Mr. Miller. The research investigates how emotional factors such as loneliness, unmet psychological needs, and emotional neglect shape the characters’ mental states and contribute to the development of obsessive attachments. Grounded in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, this study employs a qualitative descriptive method, analyzing selected scenes and dialogues that illustrate patterns of obsession and psychological disturbance. The findings indicate that Cairo’s obsession emerges from parental absence and her intense need for validation, whereas Mr. Miller’s fixation is rooted in emotional rejection within his marriage and his desire to regain a sense of worth through Cairo’s admiration. Both characters rely on rationalization as a defense mechanism, though they employ it in markedly different ways to justify or manage their behaviors. This study highlights how obsessive tendencies are constructed within cinematic narratives and contributes to literary psychology research by demonstrating the relevance of psychoanalytic theory in interpreting contemporary film portrayals of mental and emotional instability

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Journal Info

Abbrev

PNP

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

PANOPTICON: Journal of English Studies is a scholarly journal published by English Letter of Universitas Pamulang. It was founded in 2024, with registered number E-ISSN: 3047-8693. PANOPTICON has commitment to exchange and share ideas as well as research findings from researchers. Also, it provides ...