UNDERSTANDING HOW PARENTAL NEGLECT AFFECTS EMOTIONS AND LOVE IN MERCEDES RON'S NOVEL MY FAULT

SITI AISYAH (30802300043)

        I.            INTRODUCTION

My Fault is a young adult novel by Mercedes Ron, a Spanish author who first gained recognition through the Wattpad platform before her work was officially published. As the first part of the Culpables trilogy, this novel explores themes of forbidden love, family conflict, and the search for identity. The story centers on Noah, a teenager with a dark past. His father is an alcoholic who often commits domestic violence against both his mother and Noah himself, causing Noah to grow up lacking his father's love. After his parents' divorce, Noah's life changes drastically when his mother marries a man from the elite class, and they move to her new husband's house. There, Noah meets Nick, his new father's son, who is attractive but a little arrogant. Their relationship develops with tension, secrets, and intense emotions. This novel not only presents a love story full of twists and turns, but also depicts a journey of growing up, past trauma, and efforts to understand the meaning of family. In addition, this story highlights the serious impact of parental neglect on the emotional and psychological health of children.

    II.                  II.        BIOGRAPHY

Mercedes Ron López was born on June 1, 1993, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but moved to Spain at a young age and studied Audiovisual Communication at the University of Seville. She began writing stories on the Wattpad platform in 2015, and her debut work, Culpa Mía (My Fault), catapulted her to fame and garnered millions of readers. This success led Montena, part of Penguin Random House, to officially publish the Culpables trilogy. In addition to the trilogy, Mercedes has also written other series such as Enfrentados, Dímelo, and Bali. Her emotional writing style, with a focus on strong female characters, has made her one of the most influential young writers in modern Spanish literature. Mercedes Ron won The Wattys Award in 2016 on Wattpad as a talented writer and has achieved international best-seller status with her works, which have sold over three million copies and been translated into more than 15 languages. Her popularity has grown with the film adaptation of Culpa Mía, released on Amazon Prime Video in 2023, solidifying her position as a new icon in the New Adult Romance genre. Additionally, her work gives voice to the emotional experiences of teenagers and explores complex themes such as love, trauma, and self-discovery, making her relevant to young readers worldwide.

 III.                 III.         REVIEW OF THE NOVEL

The novel My Fault by Mercede Ron tells the story of Noah, a teenager who faces various challenges due to the lack of affection from his alcoholic father, who often commits domestic violence. This toxic environment causes Noah to harbor deep wounds and trauma that he finds difficult to overcome. After his mother remarries a man from California, Noah moves in with his stepfather and his son, Nick. There, Noah begins to feel love for Nick, but at the same time, he is afraid that these feelings will reopen old wounds that have not yet fully healed. This is illustrated in the statement:

"I wasn't ready for my heart to be broken again before it had begun to heal. I wasn't even sure I had a heart anymore, just thousands of little pieces I kept trying to glue back together." ― Mercedes Ron, Culpa mía ( My Fault )

From the statement above, Noah realized that his heart had not yet recovered from his previous wounds when he had to face a new heartbreak. He felt that he no longer had a whole heart, but only small pieces that he kept trying to put back together. This description illustrates how fragile and vulnerable his emotions were, and how far his healing process was from complete.

In addition, Mercedes Ron also highlights how wounds caused by parents can have a major impact on children's mental and emotional health. This is clearly illustrated by the quote:

“I stopped expecting anything from anyone a long time ago. That's what happens when you grow up learning that love always goes away.” ― Mercedes Ron, Culpa mía ( My Fault )

            This quotation, clearly shows that growing up in an environment of neglect or emotional instability causes a child to lose faith in love. They learn to suppress their expectations and close themselves off from emotional relationships because every form of love they have ever known ends in loss. As a result, a mindset develops that loving only brings suffering, which ultimately causes deep psychological wounds and difficulties in building intimacy and trust in adulthood.

This novel successfully captures readers' attention through its blend of romance, family issues, and the emotional journey of its main character. Mercedes Ron depicts her characters very realistically, especially Noah, who appears strong on the outside but is actually fragile on the inside. The first-person perspective allows readers to directly feel Noah's emotions and pain. Themes such as difficult love, heartbreak, and the impact of parental neglect are raised powerfully and emotionally, although in some parts it feels a little exaggerated and cliché. The language used is simple and easy to understand, suitable for teenage readers. Although there are some relationships between characters that seem unhealthy, this actually makes the story feel more real, because love and life are not always easy.

 IV.                  IV.        CONCLUSION

Overall, My Fault is a touching novel full of turbulent emotions. Mercedes Ron successfully shows how a painful past can shape a person's personality and influence the way they love. This novel is not only about the love story of two teenagers facing problems, but also about emotional wounds, forgiveness, and the search for identity amid confusing feelings. With a light but poignant writing style, My Fault is suitable for young readers who enjoy love stories with internal conflicts and messages about the power to heal from wounds