Illness, Isolation, and Acceptance: A Psychological Reading of Emotional Responses in A. J. Betts’s Zac & Mia

Abstract

Serious illnesses and literature are interrelated because literary narratives express illness, suffering, loss, and death from diverse psychological and social perspectives. Serious illness in young adults may not only be associated with health issues but also influence identity, interpersonal relations, independence, and life perspectives. In this respect, the purpose of the current study is to investigate the five emotional responses, such as denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance based on the model of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the novel of A. J. Betts, Zac & Mia (2013). The research is qualitative and uses the method of textual analysis. The data used for the research include purposefully chosen dialogues, narrative descriptions, characters’ reactions and events connected with the experiences of Zac and Mia. The results reveal that all five types of emotions described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross are evident in the experiences of the two characters but are not presented in a definite sequence. Zac is more concerned with illness and uncertainty via information, statistics, and rationalization, while Mia’s responses are mostly connected with bodily changes and relational, emotional and identity concerns. Moreover, the findings also illustrate the effects of isolation on psychological problems while emphasizing that interpersonal interaction is important for emotional comfort. The findings also indicate that acceptance is an evolving process and not a destination. The study demonstrates that Zac & Mia engages with Kübler-Ross’s five-response framework while presenting illness-related emotional experiences as individual, overlapping, and context-dependent.