Isabelle Drake’s anxiety and defense mechanism in Stacy Willingham’s all the dangerous things

The objective of this research is to explore the anxiety and defense mechanisms exhibited by Isabelle Drake in the novel All the Dangerous Things. The story is about Isabelle's feelings as she deals with the pain and problems after losing her child. It also investigates the various defense mechanisms she uses to cope with her inner turmoil. There are two problems to be solved in this study, namely: (1) How is Isabelle Drake's anxiety portrayed in the novel? and (2) How does Isabelle Drake use defense mechanisms to cope with her anxiety? This study uses a qualitative approach. This method is used by examining Isabelle's story, her monologue, her conversations, and her thoughts in the novel. Data are collected with quotes that describe Isabelle's anxiety and defense mechanisms, which are important factors in understanding her experience. In addition, the data are analyzed in two ways. First, the types of anxiety are classified based on Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Second, the defense mechanisms used are categorized. Finally, the reasons behind the selection of certain mechanisms are explained. These reasons are explained through the psychological and situational contexts faced by Isabelle. The study found that Isabelle experiences three types of anxiety. The first type is realistic anxiety (fear of external threats, such as her son's kidnapper attending her event). The second type is neurotic anxiety (irrational guilt over possibly hurting Mason while sleepwalking). The third type is moral anxiety (conflict over her sister's death). She utilizes numerous defense mechanisms, such as denial (denying that Mason has gone missing), reaction formation (exaggerating with false generosity), projection (blaming others for her own actions), regression (insomnia in reaction to trauma), and rationalization (justifying violence as self-defense). She also displays fixation, which is when answers are obsessively sought. And the last, she displays introjection, which is when Waylon's theory is adopted.