Nora’s Process of Self-acceptance Through Narrative Technique in The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Abstract

This study aims to determine the use of Showing and Telling narrative techniques in the novel The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The researcher focuses on the main character in the novel, especially in describing the psychological changes of Nora Seed’s character through the guidance of Mrs. Elm. The problems in this research are: How does the author show Nora’s self-acceptance process through the techniques of telling and showing, and which technique is more dominant in describing Nora’s self-acceptance process. The theory used is narrative theory, focusing on the conversations between characters in the novel. The research method is qualitative with a text analysis approach, where data is collected through close reading and classified based on the category of showing or telling. The results show that the Telling technique is more dominant in showing the changes in Nora’s characterization through direct interaction with Mrs. Elm and her alternative life experiences. Thus, the Telling technique plays a more important role in shaping Nora’s characterization in the process of self-acceptance.