Parasocial relationship as a form of individualism in the global era in Gail Honeyman’s novel Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Abstract
In the context of today’s global media culture, Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine portrays how individuals develop emotional attachment to mediated figures, as the main character forms a parasocial relationship with a musician. Although not fully explained in the narrative, this reflects a common phenomenon in the global era. This research aims to investigate the connection between mediated intimacy and the global era, as well as its impact on the development of individualism. Employing a descriptive qualitative method and drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality, this research also explains how reality has been replaced by simulation via the media. The analysis reveals that the main character forms an emotional attachment based on media representations rather than fundamental interactions, symbolizing the shifting meaning of reality in modern life. Such attachment encourages the main character to withdraw from social situations and to prefer to live in an imaginary world. This reflects the rise of individualism in a global society influenced by the media. Beyond previous studies that primarily emphasize the psychological dimensions of parasocial ties, this research contributes by highlighting their cultural implications and significance in understanding contemporary social dynamics.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Adam, A., & Sizemore, B. (2013). Parasocial romance: A social exchange perspective. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 7(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i1.106
Angela, L. (2024). From screens to souls: Parasocial relationship, belongingness, and zest for life among emerging adulthood K-pop fans. – The Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences 2024 Official Conference Proceedings, 203–215. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4743.2024.18
Azizah, H. (2022). Eleanor’s anxiety and defense mechanism in Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim. http://etheses.uin-malang.ac.id/id/eprint/41760
Baudrillard, J. (1981). Simulacra and Simulacrum. 3(September), 675–687. Editions Galilѐe.
Brunick, K. L., Putnam, M. M., McGarry, L. E., Richards, M. N., & Calvert, S. L. (2016). Children’s future parasocial relationships with media characters: The age of intelligent characters. Journal of Children and Media, 10(2), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.1127839
Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2016). Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationship: Conceptual clarification and a critical assessment of measures. Human Communication Research, 42(1), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12063 document
Eve, P. H. D. (2017). Dialogue journaling with Malaysian English Teachers. International Journal of English: Literature, Language & Skills, 6(1), 77–88.
Farrar, L. (2023, February 24). How can parasocial relationships affect your life? KQED.Org.https://www.kqed.org/education/536380/how-can-parasocial-relationships-affect-your-life.
Gannon, K. (2018). Parasocial relationships with fictional characters in therapy. Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, 77.
Giles, D. C. (2002). Parasocial interaction: A review of the literature and a model for future research. Media Psychology, 4(3), 279–305. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0403_04
Giles, D. C. (2010). Parasocial relationships. Characters in Fictional Worlds, November 2010, 442–458. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110232424.4.442
Godulla, A. (2022). Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. In: Spiller, R., Rudeloff, C., Döbler, T. (eds) Schlüsselwerke: Theorien (in) der Kommunikationswissenschaft. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37354-2_2
Hoffner, C. A., & Bond, B. J. (2022). Parasocial relationships, social media, & well-being. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, 101306. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101306
Hussain, A., Akhtar, A., & Qazi, K. (2023). Oliphant in the room: Identity, desire and social media in Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, February. https://doi.org/10.53555/jrtdd.v6i7s.2311
Hwang, K., & Zhang, Q. (2018). Influence of parasocial relationship between digital celebrities and their followers on followers’ purchase and electronic word-of-mouth intentions, and persuasion knowledge. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 155–173. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.029
Jarzyna, C. L. (2021). Parasocial interaction, the COVID-19 quarantine, and digital age media. Human Arenas, 4(3), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00156-0
Khairi, N. A. S. A., Norazman, N. D. A., Hasssanudin, M. I. A., Khallip, N. F. A. K., & Yusuf, S. (2024). Bonding beyond the screen: Investigating the effects of parasocial relationship between fans and society. VII(2454), 1175–1189. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.808004
Li, W., Ding, H., Xu, G., & Yang, J. (2023). The impact of fitness influencers on a social media platform on exercise intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of parasocial relationships. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021113
Lotun, S., Lamarche, V. M., Matran-Fernandez, A., & Sandstrom, G. M. (2024). People perceive parasocial relationships to be effective at fulfilling emotional needs. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58069-9
Macmillan, C. (2021). Speaking with the dead: The sick chick and the psychic crypt in Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Gender Studies, 20(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0004
Pandit, B. (2024). Trauma, Narrative medicine, and healing: A literary analysis of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. International Journal of Indian Psychȯlogy, 12(4). https://ijip.co.in/index.php/ijip/article/view/8835
Pratiwi, A. N. (2023). Betrayal trauma of Eleanor in Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim.
Quesada, M. M. F. (2023). Eleanor Oliphant Is not that Fine: Exploring the transformative potential of vulnerability in Gail Honeyman’s debut (2017). Oceanide, 16, 46–53. https://doi.org/10.37668/oceanide.v16i.122
Rahmadanty, S. M., & Subianto, A. (2021). Characterization of Eleanor Oliphant in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: A Study of transitivity using corpus-based linguistics. Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies, 5(3), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.14710/culturalistics.v5i3.12749
Safwan, A., & Ali, D. S. (2024). Social media influencers as catalysts: A study on parasocial relationships and their impact on shaping online buying intentions and behaviors. CARC Research in Social Sciences, 3(2), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.58329/criss.v3i2.121
Sanborn, F., & Harris, R. J. (2013). A cognitive psychology of mass communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203110904
Schnarre, P., & Adam, A. (2017). Parasocial romances as infidelity: Comparing perceptions of real-life, online, and parasocial extradyadic relationships. Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences, 20(1), 9.
Schramm, H., Liebers, N., Biniak, L., & Dettmar, F. (2024). Research trends on parasocial interactions and relationships with media characters. A review of 281 English and German-language studies from 2016 to 2020. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(September), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1418564
Sihvola, E., & Polvinen, M. (2024). Untypical fictional minds and complicated empathy and sympathy. Master’s Thesis. University of Helsinki. https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/cbd087ff-4603-4267-90b8-4571e4d03ef9/content
Stein, J. P., Liebers, N., & Faiss, M. (2024). Feeling better...but also less lonely? An experimental comparison of how parasocial and social relationships affect people’s well-being. Mass Communication and Society, 27(3), 576–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2127369
Stever, G. S. (2017). Parasocial theory: Concepts and measures. The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783764.wbieme0069
Streefkerk, R. (2023, June 22). Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research | Differences, Examples & Methods. Scibbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/
Syawal, M. S. (2023). Parasocial intimacy and fan culture with K-pop artists in Indonesian digital media: A study of fan-idol relationships on social media platforms. Edunity Kajian Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan, 2(11), 1383–1393. https://doi.org/10.57096/edunity.v2i11.181
Tatem, C. P., & Ingram, J. (2022). Social media habits but not social interaction anxiety predict parasocial relationships. Journal of Social Psychology Research, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.37256/jspr.1220221496
Tiansyah, R. N., Suharyati, H., & P Ratih, S. D. (2021). The impact of psychological trauma on the life of the main character in the novel Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Journal Albion : Journal of English Literature, Language, and Culture, 3(1), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.33751/albion.v3i1.3345
Tukachinsky, R. (2010). Para-romantic love and para-friendships: Development and assessment of a multiple-parasocial relationships scale. American Journal of Media Psychology, 3(1/2), 73–94. http://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/comm_articles
Angela, L. (2024). From screens to souls: Parasocial relationship, belongingness, and zest for life among emerging adulthood K-pop fans. – The Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences 2024 Official Conference Proceedings, 203–215. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4743.2024.18
Azizah, H. (2022). Eleanor’s anxiety and defense mechanism in Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim. http://etheses.uin-malang.ac.id/id/eprint/41760
Baudrillard, J. (1981). Simulacra and Simulacrum. 3(September), 675–687. Editions Galilѐe.
Brunick, K. L., Putnam, M. M., McGarry, L. E., Richards, M. N., & Calvert, S. L. (2016). Children’s future parasocial relationships with media characters: The age of intelligent characters. Journal of Children and Media, 10(2), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.1127839
Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2016). Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationship: Conceptual clarification and a critical assessment of measures. Human Communication Research, 42(1), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12063 document
Eve, P. H. D. (2017). Dialogue journaling with Malaysian English Teachers. International Journal of English: Literature, Language & Skills, 6(1), 77–88.
Farrar, L. (2023, February 24). How can parasocial relationships affect your life? KQED.Org.https://www.kqed.org/education/536380/how-can-parasocial-relationships-affect-your-life.
Gannon, K. (2018). Parasocial relationships with fictional characters in therapy. Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, 77.
Giles, D. C. (2002). Parasocial interaction: A review of the literature and a model for future research. Media Psychology, 4(3), 279–305. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0403_04
Giles, D. C. (2010). Parasocial relationships. Characters in Fictional Worlds, November 2010, 442–458. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110232424.4.442
Godulla, A. (2022). Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. In: Spiller, R., Rudeloff, C., Döbler, T. (eds) Schlüsselwerke: Theorien (in) der Kommunikationswissenschaft. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37354-2_2
Hoffner, C. A., & Bond, B. J. (2022). Parasocial relationships, social media, & well-being. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, 101306. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101306
Hussain, A., Akhtar, A., & Qazi, K. (2023). Oliphant in the room: Identity, desire and social media in Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, February. https://doi.org/10.53555/jrtdd.v6i7s.2311
Hwang, K., & Zhang, Q. (2018). Influence of parasocial relationship between digital celebrities and their followers on followers’ purchase and electronic word-of-mouth intentions, and persuasion knowledge. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 155–173. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.029
Jarzyna, C. L. (2021). Parasocial interaction, the COVID-19 quarantine, and digital age media. Human Arenas, 4(3), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00156-0
Khairi, N. A. S. A., Norazman, N. D. A., Hasssanudin, M. I. A., Khallip, N. F. A. K., & Yusuf, S. (2024). Bonding beyond the screen: Investigating the effects of parasocial relationship between fans and society. VII(2454), 1175–1189. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.808004
Li, W., Ding, H., Xu, G., & Yang, J. (2023). The impact of fitness influencers on a social media platform on exercise intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of parasocial relationships. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021113
Lotun, S., Lamarche, V. M., Matran-Fernandez, A., & Sandstrom, G. M. (2024). People perceive parasocial relationships to be effective at fulfilling emotional needs. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58069-9
Macmillan, C. (2021). Speaking with the dead: The sick chick and the psychic crypt in Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Gender Studies, 20(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0004
Pandit, B. (2024). Trauma, Narrative medicine, and healing: A literary analysis of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. International Journal of Indian Psychȯlogy, 12(4). https://ijip.co.in/index.php/ijip/article/view/8835
Pratiwi, A. N. (2023). Betrayal trauma of Eleanor in Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim.
Quesada, M. M. F. (2023). Eleanor Oliphant Is not that Fine: Exploring the transformative potential of vulnerability in Gail Honeyman’s debut (2017). Oceanide, 16, 46–53. https://doi.org/10.37668/oceanide.v16i.122
Rahmadanty, S. M., & Subianto, A. (2021). Characterization of Eleanor Oliphant in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: A Study of transitivity using corpus-based linguistics. Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies, 5(3), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.14710/culturalistics.v5i3.12749
Safwan, A., & Ali, D. S. (2024). Social media influencers as catalysts: A study on parasocial relationships and their impact on shaping online buying intentions and behaviors. CARC Research in Social Sciences, 3(2), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.58329/criss.v3i2.121
Sanborn, F., & Harris, R. J. (2013). A cognitive psychology of mass communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203110904
Schnarre, P., & Adam, A. (2017). Parasocial romances as infidelity: Comparing perceptions of real-life, online, and parasocial extradyadic relationships. Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences, 20(1), 9.
Schramm, H., Liebers, N., Biniak, L., & Dettmar, F. (2024). Research trends on parasocial interactions and relationships with media characters. A review of 281 English and German-language studies from 2016 to 2020. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(September), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1418564
Sihvola, E., & Polvinen, M. (2024). Untypical fictional minds and complicated empathy and sympathy. Master’s Thesis. University of Helsinki. https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/cbd087ff-4603-4267-90b8-4571e4d03ef9/content
Stein, J. P., Liebers, N., & Faiss, M. (2024). Feeling better...but also less lonely? An experimental comparison of how parasocial and social relationships affect people’s well-being. Mass Communication and Society, 27(3), 576–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2127369
Stever, G. S. (2017). Parasocial theory: Concepts and measures. The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783764.wbieme0069
Streefkerk, R. (2023, June 22). Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research | Differences, Examples & Methods. Scibbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/
Syawal, M. S. (2023). Parasocial intimacy and fan culture with K-pop artists in Indonesian digital media: A study of fan-idol relationships on social media platforms. Edunity Kajian Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan, 2(11), 1383–1393. https://doi.org/10.57096/edunity.v2i11.181
Tatem, C. P., & Ingram, J. (2022). Social media habits but not social interaction anxiety predict parasocial relationships. Journal of Social Psychology Research, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.37256/jspr.1220221496
Tiansyah, R. N., Suharyati, H., & P Ratih, S. D. (2021). The impact of psychological trauma on the life of the main character in the novel Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Journal Albion : Journal of English Literature, Language, and Culture, 3(1), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.33751/albion.v3i1.3345
Tukachinsky, R. (2010). Para-romantic love and para-friendships: Development and assessment of a multiple-parasocial relationships scale. American Journal of Media Psychology, 3(1/2), 73–94. http://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/comm_articles
Published
2025-12-31
How to Cite
DAMAYANTI, Andini; HARYANTI, Rahayu Puji.
Parasocial relationship as a form of individualism in the global era in Gail Honeyman’s novel Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 2, p. 171-188, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2655-8718.
Available at: <https://unars.ac.id/ojs/index.php/pioneer/article/view/6430>. Date accessed: 29 jan. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v17i2.6430.
Issue
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
An author who publishes in Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature agrees to the following terms:
- Author retains the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal
- Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book) with the acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Author is permitted and encouraged to post his/her work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of the published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
