Alienation Is Not A New Thing

The value of participating in life, and society is particularly important and plays a major role in one’s health, and mental state. The two novels from our class display a clear image of the pain and agony you feel after being rejected, and looked upon differently. Stephen Chbosky’s, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, we witness how characters in both novels try to participate in life, and just want to be accepted like everybody else. However, they all encountered problems as the society refuses to accept them for who they are. They are either picked on or completely disowned and forced to stay away from civilization, and as a result, their mental state begins to decline, which leads to consequences. These consequences

Alienation is a feeling of emotional isolation or exclusion from others and can be in the form of physical and mental and it is most often a combination of these forms. Throughout history and to the present day, hostility and prejudice continue to divide the human race because of the indifferences of people. Alienation can be a driving force that pushes human conscience to extremes as humans feel painfully alienated from social institutions that surround them. Friends, family, and society can all be suspects of alienation, and for victims, drastic changes consequently occur. In the literary works of “First Ice”, First Day, and Shinny Game Melted the Ice, the main characters experience such hostility and exclusion from friends, family, and society.

In the following short stories Eveline written by James Joyce, The Story of An Hour written by Kate Chopin, and A Rose For Emily written by William Faulkner we find that isolation is a popular theme throughout the stories. There are several factors in each one of the stories that makes us feel the isolation that each one of the women in the stated stories felt. Weather it is Eveline feeling stuck at home due to a request for her to tend to her family and resume the place of her deceased mother. Or Mrs. Mallard with her feeling that “it was only yesterday that she felt that life might be too long” (228). Along with Miss. Emily who seemed isolate her self form the word by closing her door for good. In the three

The theme of isolation is a heavy premise throughout all three books that help to shape not only certain characters but also provide insight on fundamental qualities of their identities. The object of this essay is to prove who seems to be the most solitary character between the books Light in August by William Faulkner, A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In these stories, the idea of isolation is the loneliness that has been experienced in a characters life. Some characters have experienced their loneliness since early childhood while others have been kept isolated involuntarily. Although these three characters have taken different approaches in their lives, they all ended up isolated from society. As Alfred Kazin believes that Joe Christmas is the most solitary character in American fiction, I would like to discuss how both the villain in A Good Man is Hard to Find and the heroine of The Yellow Wallpaper would not rival Kazin’s opinion. Joe Christmas in Light in August proves to be the most solitary character I have read about, as he is never able to become a full member of society.

The word isolation is defined as meaning, “The state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others” (Merriam Webster 1). Isolation is very powerful in that it leads to many negative effects and causes people to feel left out, as well as, separated from the group. However, isolation can have differing effects on different people, while isolation can negatively affect some, it can also cause people to find themselves. Through the use of the characters Stephen, Sachi, and Okonkwo, the topic of what isolation really is will be assessed, and what exactly this very same isolation can cause will be found. In Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, and in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Stephen, Sachi, Okonkwo and Nwoye, are all isolated, thus causing them to strive to regain identity in their new lives.

Alienation can be defined as a state of being cut off or separate from a person or group of people. There are many factors that cause people to become alienated: race, political views, social status, etc. The texts “The Great Gatsby”, “The Catcher in the Rye”, and the play “Death of a Salesman” all portray characters who are cut off from the rest society. Despite the character's best effort to fit in, they ultimately fail. The authors argue that one's ideology can cause them to be alienated.

“Loneliness is a common emotion when someone feels alone, separated from others or unsupported and distressed” (Kennedy). A common occurrence of many great authors is to make a theme regarding loneliness or isolation for example, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. “The Fall of the House of Usher”, comparatively speaking, is a very challenging read for most, whereas “The Yellow Wallpaper” is more of a relaxed read. There are many differences between “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, however, there is a common occurrence that links the two, loneliness. Throughout the two short fiction pieces both characters, Roderick Usher from “The Fall of the House of Usher and Jane from “The Yellow Wallpaper”, are isolated from the outside world, both characters have an illness that keeps them in isolation, and both characters in some way turn to a form of literature to pass time . All of these aspects contribute significantly to loneliness.

The Painted Door, by Sinclair Ross published in New York in 1941. Is isolation the enemy of our improvement, or is our worst possible counselor? The letter "i" in illness is isolation, it is a feeling through which a person feels and has thoughts about being rejected by others, which leads us to the conclusion that being in that state of mind leads a person in the company of our worst enemy, the one within ourselves. Being Isolated from John was the loneliness Ann had felt which made her feels like it was forced upon her, like a punishment.

In Just Like Us the sociological concept of alienation is highlighted during a conversation between Helen Thorpe and

Isolation, meaning a state of separation, is often misperceived by many as people frequently believe that isolation is always a negative state of being; that isolation due to emotions is non-realistic, and that isolation is always involuntary. These myths are commonly accepted; however, the novel Crow Lake takes a different stand from these myths. Mary Lawson, author of the novel, demonstrated isolations in many of its forms through the protagonist, Kate, and a small, desolated rural community that represented the primary setting of the novel, Crow Lake. By doing so, Lawson reveals the counterfactual nature of these myths and thus correcting the misconceptions that the society has about isolation.

Throughout the novel “House of Sand and Fog” by Andre Dubus III, the recurring theme of alienation takes its toll on the lives of the two main characters: Kathy and Behrani. We see how the isolation of both characters not only has an effect on them, but also on the lives of others who matter most to them. Alienation is the act of being withdrawn or isolated from a life in which one is accustomed or should be accustomed to. The incidents of alienation demonstrated in the novel include, the relationship between each character and their families, Behrani and his family being forced out of their home country and living in America, and Kathy getting evicted from her family house. As we see these events occur throughout the book, we also learn that both characters will do whatever it takes to claim ownership of what they both call home. This drawn-out battle over a piece of property ends up putting Kathy along with Lester behind bars, and with Behrani losing his son in the process.

The author has used all of these examples to accurately portray alienation and loneliness. The poor woman is so alone and isolated, and she doesn’t try to hide it in the least. Everything she writes about is how she is alone, crying, or trying to make someone else happy by doing something, or by not doing something, or she’s hiding what she’s doing to avoid getting in trouble. She can’t do anything that makes her happy. She’s trapped in this huge, ugly room with tattered wallpaper and bars on the windows. In fact, she focuses so much on the horrible paper that her condition continues to worsen. She’s told what to do and when

Alienation can be dangerous especially when it comes to the minds of individuals. Alienation starts from different things that happen to people in life and sometimes it can lead a person to live in their own fantasy world. In “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Tennessee Williams shows that the difference between real life and fantasy; and that it can lead one to a life of alienation. Blanche uses fantasy to deal with her loneliness which leads her to a life of promiscuity and alcoholism; through this she alienates herself.

When the term “isolation” is used, most people think of it as an action performed in solitude. It brings to mind an empty space in which one person resides, far from all others. However, isolation does not always occur in a singular sense. In “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, isolation is used by a large population as a means of safety. In “The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie, isolation occurs among crowds of people and even in the company of someone close to one’s heart. In both aspects, isolation serves to exemplify the broken portions of life. Isolation is a destructive force and as a theme, isolation serves to exemplify a particular viewpoint and worldview while serving as both a cause and effect.

The concept of male estrangement in an alien environment is portrayed in both Joseph Conrad’s short story, Amy Foster, as well as in Rebecca West’s book, The Return of the Soldier. First, there are adverse reactions to the male protagonists’ placement in their environments. The reactions vary between the protagonists and the people they come into contact with. Second, there are similarities and differences between the way the two authors chose to explore the situations presented. Third, both protagonists handle their estrangement differently. It is hard to behave appropriately when you are among peculiar customs.