Dread and Despair in N.K Jemisin’s The Fifth Season

Abstract

This paper examined the dread and despair of the main character in N.K Jemisin's novel entitled The Fifth Season (2015). This study explained how dread and despair led to failure and the existence of the main character's life. This research used Kierkegaard's theory of existentialism. Dread and despair are horrendous but are a thrilling topic in the discussion lately. Essun, the main character in this novel, is a strong character who has experienced numerous misfortunes since she was a child. As a result, she experienced failure in her life and an existential crisis in herself. The destruction of her life began with the death of her son, whom her husband killed. This impacted her future, where her future became messy and led to her failure in life.