Friendship and betrayal in Joya Goffney's novel excuse me while i ugly cry

This study aims to analyze friendship and betrayal in a novel entitled Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney. This research discusses the dynamics of the main character's friendship, Quinn, which seems ideal but holds potential conflicts. Quinn’s most significant conflict is the betrayal committed by her close friend, Destany. The betrayal causes a rift in their relationship and affects Quinn’s emotional journey and character growth. This issue is interesting to research because it reflects social realities relevant to teenagers today, especially regarding trust, identity, and self-recovery. This study addresses two issues: first, how the betrayal in Quinn and Destany’s friendship is depicted in the novel Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, and second, how the betrayal affects Quinn’s life. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method, applying a textual analysis approach to interpret the themes of friendship and betrayal in the novel Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. The researcher analyzes the elements of friendship and betrayal depicted in the novel using the New Criticism Theory, focusing on intrinsic aspects such as character, characterization, and character development. The data are collected through dialogues and quotations from the novel. The results of this study show that Quinn and Destany’s friendship is close but fragile. Quinn often feels unable to fully be herself, especially in terms of her identity as a black woman. Meanwhile, Destany often takes actions that indirectly reinforce stereotypes and discrimination against Quinn's identity as a black woman. In addition, Destany also betrayed Quinn by spreading the contents of Quinn’s journal due to a misunderstanding that was never communicated openly. Destany’s betrayal greatly impacts Quinn’s life journey and character growth. She let go of her toxic friendship with Destany and started new, healthier friendships with Olivia, Carter, and Auden. In addition, she transforms into a stronger, braver, and more honest person.