Psychological survival and interpersonal bonds: An object relations reading of Elif Shafak's 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

This study explores how early relationships affect a person's personality and relationships in their adulthood. This influence of treatment from caregivers on the life of an individual is studied by Object Relations Theory reading of Elif Shafak's novel 10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World. This study reveals how an individual's caregivers' bad treatment can be internalized and pose them as abusive or bad objects. Furthermore, how an individual's friends can act as good objects and reparative bonds that help her overcome her psychological wounds. The study uses qualitative methodology based on textual reading and analysis using Object Relations Theory lens. Concepts from the core founds of ORT have been applied to explore the influence of family abuse and reparative influence of interpersonal bonds on an individual's life. The results showed that the experiences of abuse, neglect, emotional invalidation and rejection by family caused Leila to internalize bad objects and feel her sense of self to be split, feel guilty, insecure and unable to function psychologically. This research applies ORT to a literary text (Shafak's novel) and draws implications for psychoanalytical literary criticism regarding the importance of human relationships in healing, identity reconstruction and psychological survival.