Desire and Reconstruction of Subjectivity in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library

Putri, Laila Nurdzikria (2026) Desire and Reconstruction of Subjectivity in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library. Sarjana thesis, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.

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Abstract

This research investigates desire and the reconstruction of subjectivity in Matt Haig's novel The midnight library by applying Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory. The study focuses on three main objectives: to examine how the Mirror Stage and the transition into the Symbolic Order reflect Nora Seed’s identity crisis, to analyze the manifestation of objet petit a through the alternative lives experienced by Nora, and to explain how her subjectivity is reconstructed through the acceptance of desire and reality. This research employs a qualitative method with a descriptive-interpretative approach. The primary data are obtained from the novel and collected through close reading of passages related to the research objectives. The data are then analyzed using Lacanian concepts, particularly the Mirror Stage, the Symbolic Order, and objet petit a. The findings reveal that Nora’s identity crisis is rooted in a process of misrecognition, where she continuously compares her actual life with idealized versions of herself, including the successful swimmer, the famous musician, and the ideal partner. As a result, she perceives her life as a failure, although this perception is not merely a personal weakness but rather a structural effect produced by the Imaginary Order. In addition, the study finds that each alternative life Nora enters represents a form of objet petit a, namely an object that appears capable of providing fulfillment and completeness but ultimately fails to do so. This can be seen clearly in Nora’s life as a musician, where she realizes that the dream she had pursued was not genuinely her own desire, but one that originated from her brother’s expectations. Furthermore, the reconstruction of Nora’s subjectivity occurs not when she discovers a perfect version of life, but when she comes to accept that lack, uncertainty, and imperfection are unavoidable aspects of human existence. This process reflects what Lacan describes as traversing the fantasy, which enables Nora to establish a new relationship with herself and return to her original life with greater self-acceptance. Therefore, this study concludes that The midnight library presents a meaningful representation of Lacanian subject formation and contributes to the development of psychoanalytic literary criticism, particularly in understanding the issues of identity, regret, and desire in contemporary literary works.

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