BUNUH DIRI SEBAGAI PERLAWANAN TERHADAP TRAUMA AKIBAT REPRESSIVE PARENTING DALAM THE VIRGIN SUICIDES KARYA JEFFREY EUGENIDES

Nadia Riskia Safitri, Achmad Munjid, M.A., Ph.D.

2026 | Tesis | S2 Sastra

Penelitian ini mengkaji narasi bunuh diri kolektif dalam novel The Virgin Suicides karya Jeffrey Eugenides dengan tujuan menjelaskan bagaimana pola asuh represif (repressive parenting) melahirkan trauma pada tokoh anak serta bagaimana tindakan bunuh diri menjadi bentuk perlawanan terhadap otoritas orang tua. Melalui metode kualitatif, penelitian ini menerapkan teori trauma Judith Herman mengenai kekuasaan domestik, Cathy Caruth tentang pengalaman traumatis, serta konsep acting out dan working through dari Dominick LaCapra.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kontrol ketat Mrs. Lisbon yang didukung sikap pasif Mr. Lisbon menciptakan ruang domestik isolatif bagi anak-anak mereka. Pengetatan kontrol secara bertahap, mulai dari penyitaan barang pribadi hingga pengurungan total memicu trauma yang menghambat gadis-gadis Lisbon mencapai tahap rekonsiliasi (working through) dan menjebak mereka dalam fase acting out. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa tindakan bunuh diri dalam novel tersebut bukan sekadar bentuk keputusasaan, melainkan upaya terakhir para tokoh untuk merebut kembali kendali atas tubuh dan identitas mereka. Gadis-gadis Lisbon memilih untuk mengakhiri hidup sebagai bentuk perlawanan sekaligus hukuman bagi orang tua serta masyarakat yang sengaja mengabaikan kondisi mereka. Tindakan ini menjadi protes nyata terhadap kekangan domestik sekaligus kegagalan lingkungan sosial dalam memberikan perlindungan.

This study examines the collective suicide narrative in Eugenides' Novel, The Virgin Suicides, aiming to explain how repressive parenting engenders trauma in child characters and how the act of suicide serves as a form of resistance againts parental authority. Employing a qualitative method, this research applies Judith Herman's trauma theory regarding domestic power, Cathy Caruth's concept of traumatic experience, and Dominick LaCapra's framework of acting out and working through.

The results indicate that Mrs. Lisbon's strict control, supported by Mr. Lisbon's passive demeanor, creates an isolative domestic space for their children. The gradual tightening of control, ranging from the confiscation of personal belongings to total confinement triggers deep trauma that hinders the Lisbon sisters from reaching the stage of reconciliation (working through) and traps them in a phase of acting out. This study finds that the act of suicide in the novel is not merely an expression of despair, but rather a final attempt by the characters to reclaim control over their bodies and identities. The Lisbon sister choose to end their lives as a form of resistance as well as a punishment for their parents and the society that deliberately ignored their condition. This act serves as a tangible protest againts domestic constraints and the failure of the social environment to provide protection.

Kata Kunci : bunuh diri, perlawanan, repressive parenting, The Virgin Suicides, trauma.