The Representation of Power Dynamics in Sylvia Day's 'Bared to You’

Abstract

The aims of this study entitled “The Depiction of Power Relation Represented in Sylvia Day’s Bared to You” to analyze the depiction of power relation experienced by Eva as main character represented in Sylvia Day’s Bared to You. The object of this study is novel entitled Bared to You by Sylvia Day (2012). Bared to You described about childhood trauma experience in the main character. When she was ten years old, her step-brother named Nathan started raping her. Eva's childhood trauma experience made her feeling out of control of her emotions and visited a therapist to recover her mental health. This study conducted by applying descriptive qualitative method framed by Foucault's theory (2002) about power relations perspective. The results of analysis are power relations between parents and step-brother, childhood traumas are sexual abuse and neglect by her close persons, namely her stepbrother, mother, and stepfather, and servants who are expected to protect her. Eva’s traumatic childhood made her suffer for her whole life. The writer found the character of childhood trauma based on the theory developed by experts.

Keywords: power relations, childhood trauma, neglect, sexual abuse.