Resilience in Silence: Portrayal of Female Loneliness in Selected Contemporary Short Stories

Abstract

This research examines the portrayal of female loneliness in contemporary short fiction, emphasizing the concept of resilience in silence. While traditional literary criticism often interprets silence as weakness or submission, this study conceptualizes silence as a nuanced and strategic form of emotional endurance and resilience in a digitally mediated world. Three short stories—“A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri (1999), “The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2009), and “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian (2017)—serve as primary texts for analysis. Through qualitative textual analysis and feminist theoretical frameworks, the research investigates how silence, emotional withdrawal, and digital communication shape female experiences of isolation and resilience. The analysis demonstrates that contemporary short fiction reframes silence as a conscious, situational response through which women negotiate emotional vulnerability, relational uncertainty, and technological mediation. This study contributes to feminist literary scholarship by addressing the underexplored intersection of digital communication, female emotional labor, and contemporary short fiction.