Performing the Self in Social Arenas: A Dramaturgical Analysis of Sally Rooney’s Normal People

Abstract

This paper examines Sally Rooney’s Normal People (2018). The renowned Irish author is praised for her exploration of millennial relationships. The research employs a qualitative method, utilising Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical approach from a social-psychological perspective. The significance of the study lies in applying the dramaturgical approach, which conceptualises the protagonist's navigation of self-presentation, social behaviours, and internal struggles in different social settings. The transition of self-image and social performance across social situations is analysed. This paper examines the protagonist’s dual behaviour, which is characterised by the son of a working-class woman and an intellectual student at an elite university. Study of the central figure’s front-stage and back-stage behaviour emphasises the underlying conflict between the authentic self and the socially constructed self, which seeks social validation. Role performance and impression management are evaluated in various social settings. The breakdown of performance is evaluated to examine the transformation of the character. Therefore, this research illustrates the performance aspect of social identity in literature.