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Isolation in Literature
Feb 18, 2008 | Lucas
Give me a piece of literature, tell me to write an essay on it, and I will write about the theme of isolation. At least I could if I wanted to (chances are that I probably won't read the book and write the essay).
If you think about it though, nearly every book can be said to portray the theme of isolation, and the only reason I say "nearly" is because I haven't read all the books in the world so there may be some exceptions. But going back through my career as an IB student, I can clearly see the propagation of this theme through all the pieces of work we read in class.
Exhibit A: Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
I guess it's pretty obvious that the theme be present here. The book is essentially about an old man who goes out to the sea by himself to catch a fish. From what I can remember, Hemingway used isolation as a symbol to portray a man's struggle with society and the fulfillment of one's goals and ambitions.
Exhibit B: L'étranger by Albert Camus
In this novel the main character, Meursault, rejects socially imposed norms and beliefs and is then executed for it. Isolation, anyone?
Exhibit C: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The book starts off with Arthur Dent's house about to be demolished to build a highway. It then zooms out to tell that the Earth is about to be destroyed so than intergalactic highway can be built. Arthur is essentially left to save the world. As the story's hero, he is isolated and must do all he can to save his home and planet.
Exhibit D: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Hamlet is essentially isolated from Ophelia by Gertrude, Claudius and Polonius. They eventually all die. Isolation is used to portray the effects of mistrust within the family.
Exhibit E: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Raskolnikov, the main character of the story, plots the murder of the pawnshop broker, believing he was doing it for the greater good of society. The murder causes him to become ill, paranoid and isolated. Only when he actually becomes imprisoned and isolated by law is he able to clear his guilt and redeem himself.
While isolation may not be the main theme in every piece of literature, it can be argued that it is still present to a certain extent - at least enough so that an essay can be written on it.
QED