An exploration of Cleo’s loneliness in Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein (2022) by using new criticism
Abstract
This study explores Cleo’s loneliness in Coco Mellors’s Cleopatra and Frankenstein using a qualitative method. Although previous studies have examined loneliness in literary works, limited attention has been given to loneliness as an internal emotional condition that affects the dynamics of intimate relationships through the New Criticism approach. By using close reading, the analysis focuses on formal elements, namely characterization, plot, setting, symbol, and irony. Through this approach, the study reveals how Cleo’s loneliness is not a simply passing, but a condition that repeatedly shapes her decision, relationships, and sense of self. From moving, marrying, to hurting others, Cleo repeatedly attempts to escape from her loneliness. Rather than finding comfort from external connections, this study shows that Cleo finds emotional healing from within by returning to her artistic practice and transforming her pain into her art.
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References
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Rahayu, T. D. (2022). Psychological side in literary works and its implication on english teaching. Griya Cendikia, 7(2), 744-760. https://doi.org/10.47637/griya-cendikia.v7i2.370.
Ramezanzadeh, S., Etemadi, O., & Asanjarani, F. (2022). A constructivist grounded study on children’s perception of loneliness after parental divorce. Qualitative Research Journal, 22(4), 464-477. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-02-2022-0027.
Rohit, D. H. (2013). Comment on the importance of close-reading in New Criticism. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 1(7).
Rokach, A., Sha’ked, A., & Ben-Artzi, E. (2022). Loneliness in Intimate Relationships Scale (LIRS): Development and validation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12970. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912970.
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Published
2025-12-31
How to Cite
PURWANTO, Nisa Rahmayanti.
An exploration of Cleo’s loneliness in Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein (2022) by using new criticism.
Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 2, p. 206-221, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2655-8718.
Available at: <https://unars.ac.id/ojs/index.php/pioneer/article/view/6706>. Date accessed: 29 jan. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v17i2.6706.
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Articles
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