HUMAN CONNECTION AND PERSONAL GROWTH: A HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL READING OF ELIZABETH STROUT’S AMY AND ISABELLE

This article presents an extensive analysis of Elizabeth Strout's Amy and Isabellethrough the theoretical lens of Carl Rogers' humanistic psychology.Though Strout is widely recognized for her mastery in portraying intimate emotional landscapes, there has been limited scholarly focus on the psychological mechanisms underlying her narrative techniques.This study argues that Amy and Isabelle enact Rogerian processes of self-awareness, emotional authenticity, and the human striving for connection.Through close reading, the paper explores how Strout's narrative reveals layers of shame, secrecy, empathy, and reconciliation, particularly within the strained motherdaughter relationship at the heart of the novel.The psychological framework of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and the actualizing tendency provides a robust interpretive structure for examining how emotional ruptures evolve into opportunities for growth.