The Impact of Early Parental Loss on Adolescent Intimate Relationships: A Case Study of Davi’s ‘Impulsive Closeness’ Towards Men in Never Have I Ever
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper studies the effect of early loss of a parent on adolescents’ intimate relationships, and in particular, the character Davi Vishwakumar from the series Never Have I Ever. After Davi’s father dies abrubtly, she suffers from emotional difficulties to the point of unresolved grief, which is manifest in her working of male figures, such as Ben and Paxton. During her impulsive closeness, she tends to want immediate emotional bonds as a mechanism to deal with her internal distress. Through the use of attachment theory and general emotional development during adolescence, this analysis examines how Davi's unhappy experiences of being raised influenced how she approaches relationships by maintaining them, which stress emotional fulfillment instead of stability. The paper additionally discusses the impact of her cultural backdrop and family dynamics on her behaviors and relational proclivities. For the most part, this research shows how early loss can detrimentally impact adolescent identity and emotional regulation, and that this can only be overcome through healthier coping mechanisms when forming close relationships
Author: Xinyi Jiang
Institution: Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411495035