| ISSN: 2583-3812 | ISSN: 2583-3812JOURNAL ARTICLE
Keywords: Emotional Resilience, Relational Ethics, Youth, Identity, Trauma, Healing, Indian English Fiction, Care, Psychological Growth.
Abstract: This paper critically examines the interwoven themes of emotional resilience, acceptance, and transformative friendship in a contemporary Indian English youth novel set against the backdrop of urban India. The narrative traces the psychological journeys of young protagonists as they confront vulnerability, trauma, loss, and emotional uncertainty in a rapidly changing social environment. Through close textual analysis, the study argues that acceptance, both self-acceptance and the willingness to acknowledge the fragility of others; functions as the emotional bedrock upon which personal stability and growth are constructed. The research foregrounds the representation of friendship not merely as a social convenience but as a profound ethical commitment rooted in empathy, patience, and mutual accountability. In the absence of fully supportive familial structures, peer relationships evolve into alternative spaces of belonging and security. These relational networks provide the characters with the emotional scaffolding necessary to process grief, anxiety, and psychological isolation. The novel thus re-conceptualizes friendship as an active practice of care rather than a passive association, emphasizing sustained presence and emotional labor as essential to healing. Additionally, the study explores how moments of crisis operate as catalysts for self-redefinition. Emotional breakdowns are portrayed not as signs of weakness but as transitional spaces through which individuals attain maturity, resilience, and deeper self-awareness. The narrative highlights communication, vulnerability, and shared suffering as mechanisms through which identity is reshaped and strengthened. In doing so, it presents youth not as a stage of impulsive instability but as a period marked by complex ethical and emotional negotiations. By situating the text within the broader discourse of contemporary popular fiction in India, this paper contends that such narratives significantly contribute to conversations on mental well-being, relational ethics, and identity formation. The study ultimately demonstrates how commercial youth fiction can meaningfully engage with psychological realism while offering a nuanced portrayal of recovery through connection and compassion.
Article Info: Received: 28 Sep 2025; Received in revised form: 20 Oct 2025; Accepted: 25 Oct 2025; Available online: 31 Oct 2025
Cite this Article: APA | ACM | Chicago | Harvard | IEEE | MLA | Vancouver | Bibtex| Total View: 65 | Downloads: 1 | Page No: 172-177 |  |
DOI: