Unspoken grief within family relationships in Melanie Cheng's The Burrow

This study examines the family relationships portrayal and the breakdown of communication following the death of Ruby in Melanie Cheng’s The Burrow. This study focuses on the long-held grief of each member of the Lee family, which has a real impact on the rift in their relationships. This case is experienced by the four main characters in the novel, namely Jin, Amy, Pauline, and Lucie. This study addresses two main problems: (1) How are Jin, Amy, Pauline, and Lucie described after the death of Ruby in the novel? and (2) How are the interactions within the family in the novel represented as a communication breakdown? This research uses a descriptive qualitative method through textual analysis. The main theoretical framework is New Criticism, particularly close reading to examine the characters and characterizations depicted in literary text. the study focuses on how family conflict is constructed textually through narrative elements such as dialogue, actions, silence, and interaction among characters. The Burrow by Melanie Cheng serves as the primary data source. Meanwhile, secondary data are obtained from books, journal, and trusted web-pages. Data were obtained through close readings until data tables creation according to the research focus. The findings show that grief in The Burrow damages family relationships more than it is openly expressed. Jin becomes emotionally distant and avoids communication, which weakens his relationship with Amy. Amy responds with resentment and emotional withdrawal, making their marriage tense and disconnected. Their lack of communication also affects Lucie, who receives little emotional guidance from her parents and learns to stay silent. Pauline tries to care for Lucie, but unresolved blame and guilt create tension with Jin and Amy. The study concludes that the family becomes emotionally divided with silence shaping their interactions more than conversation.