Volume I Special Issue I September 2021

Name of Author : M R Ancilin & Dr. P J Giftlin

Title of the paper : Maternal Deprivation and Destruction: A Syndromic Study of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects

Abstract: Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American writer known for her psychological thriller novels. Flynn’s Sharp Objects is a debut novel published in 2006 which deals with the destructive nature of Munchausen syndrome by proxy MSBP in the modern world. Psychologists believe the quality of the parental care a child receives in his early years plays a crucial role in his future mental health. Adora, the antagonist of the novel, is a victim of abusive parenting. As a result, she developed a mental illness, MSPB, in which she presents her daughters as ill to gain attention and sympathy from others. Adora ill-treats her three daughters Camille, Marian, and Amma. This treatment damaged the physical and mental health of the daughters and the ability to form healthy acquaintances with family members, friends, and society. This paper tends to identify the cause and effects of maternal deprivation and Munchausen syndrome by proxy through the victims in the novel.

Keywords : Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, Parental Care, Seeking Attention, Child Abuse, Manipulation.

DOI :

Page Number : 139-142