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Traumatic Bonding and Intermittent Reinforcement in Anita Brookner’s Providence
WANG Xiao
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.09.006
Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, China
This paper examines the role of traumatic bonding in Anita Brookner’s novel Providence. Through the perspective of traumatic bonding theory, this paper explores the true nature of the relationship between Kitty Maule and Maurice Bishop. The paper analyzes the intermittent cycles of affection and neglect that characterize their interactions, highlighting how Bishop’s emotional detachment and sporadic gestures of warmth create a power imbalance that traps Kitty in a cycle of idealization and disillusionment. Drawing on the work of Dutton and Painter (1981) on traumatic bonding, the paper explores how Kitty’s emotional dependence on Maurice mirrors the patterns found in emotionally abusive relationships, revealing how the traumatic bond between Kitty and Bishop shapes her journey toward self-growth.
traumatic bonding, Anita Brookner, intermittent reinforcement, power imbalance
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, September 2025, Vol. 15, No. 9, 713-718
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