THE MOTHER-DAUGTHER RELATIONSHIP IN JENNETTE MCCURDY’S I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED

This study explored Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, through the lens of Chodorow’s object relations theory, focusing on the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship. In adherence to Alan McKee, this study
employed textual analysis as the primary tool to examine how McCurdy’s life experiences aligned with Chodorow’s key concepts. These include the mother as the primary source of identification, the father’s role as a secondary figure,
gendered identity and development, the challenge of severing the mother-daughter connection, and heterosexuality as a love object. The analysis identified how McCurdy’s narrative revealed her mother’s overbearing influence on her identity,
emotional responses, and relationships, leaving her unable to separate her own desires from her mother’s expectations. It highlighted her struggle to reconcile dependency with autonomy, compounded by a distant father figure who offered
little relief from maternal control. The study further examined how her mother projected gendered insecurities onto her, manipulated her career and personal relationships, and stunted her individual development. The memoir concludes
with McCurdy’s painful realization of the abuse she endured and her efforts to reclaim her identity after her mother’s death. By summarizing and comparing these findings with Chodorow’s theoretical framework, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of the mother-daughter dynamic and its implications for identity formation, emotional development, and autonomy.