IDENTITY CRISIS IN ADOLESCENCE PERIOD EXPERIENCED BY ASHA IN SHILPI SOMAYA GOWDA’S SECRET DAUGHTER

Abstract

This research aims to identify the identity statuses which mark the identity crisis
of the main character in Gowda’s Secret Daughter, Asha, an Asian-Indian adolescent who lives in America with her adoptive mixed-race parents, to find out the impact of Asha’s identity crisis towards her sixth stage of psychosocial development, and to identify how the psychosocial issue is reflected in the novel. To answer the objectives, this research employed Erikson’s fifth and sixth psychosocial development stages theory, Marcia’s identity achievement status, and literary elements theory. The research is a qualitative research with content analysis method. The main source of the data was a novel entitled Secret Daughter. The data were collected by reading and re-reading, noting, identifying, classifying and categorizing, analyzing and interpreting. The triangulation method was also used to obtain the validity and  credibility of the findings. The findings are as follows: (1) Asha experiences identity  diffusion status, identity foreclosure status, identity moratorium status, and identity achievement status which mark her identity crisis; (2) Asha is able to establish intimacy and obtain the virtue of love by forming relationship, establishing the sense of trust, understanding others, and acknowledging others; and (3) the author reflects
psychosocial issues through characters and settings.

Keywords: adolescent, Gowda’s Secret Daughter, identity crisis, identity statuses,
psychosocial