Loneliness is one of the most desolate emotions a human can feel; to feel alone means to be alone, at least most of the time. However, emotions are fickle and tend to stray away from the textbook definitions that humans have assigned them, instead choosing to become more complex. The complexity of emotions creates a multitude of interpretations, allowing each to become individualized with the human experiencing them. Writers have often taken advantage of the complexity of emotions and attempted to display them through their words, poems, and stories. Loneliness is one of those emotions that writers tend to favor because it explores the darker part of the human soul and allows room for growth and improvement in characters. The use of loneliness as an overall theme is thoroughly expressed in Elisavietta Ritchie’s poem “Sorting Laundry”, Willa Cather’s novel My Ántonia, Arthur Miller’s drama Death of a Salesman, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story “Interpreter of Maladies”. In each piece of literature, the writers explore the depth that loneliness has to offer as an emotion while their characters explore the various ways to handle that same depth.
In the poem “Sorting Laundry” by Elisavietta Ritchie, loneliness is established through the theme that oftentimes, in order to avoid feeling lonely, one will hold onto that which is no longer there. Although the persona never actually experiences true loneliness, she still fears of waking up to an “empty side of the bed” (line 51) where her lover normally lies. The relationship between the two, revealed to the reader as the persona sorts through their clothing and belongings, is not one that will lead to happily ever after. They may have been through “many washings” (lines 7-8) together, but...
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...fferent, they all consist of the same backbone or basis. The loneliness described and experienced by each of the characters has different effects on them, but stems from the same place. The characters feel lonely because in their minds they are alone, no matter the situation. In reality, it is that mindset that creates the complexity of emotions and makes them stray from how they are defined. Humans have the ability to convince themselves of anything, and when it comes to emotions, it is easier to persuade oneself into believing that they are feeling a certain way because they cannot look at themselves objectively. For loneliness, a person is not always able to see the support or way out that others are able to view. It is this desolation that keeps writers focused on this specific emotion because there is a lot of potential and possibility available to work with.
Lonely” is a poem about a kid having trouble living his life and he isolates himself from other people which makes his life harder. In this poem the author uses symbolism, a metaphor, and rhetorical questions to show how being isolated can make life more difficult. The author tells the audience that whenever anyone tries to isolates themselves there life gets harder for them.
The Psychology Dictionary defines loneliness as “a sometimes long lasting feeling having no alternative to turn to in times of distress and depression. Generally classes as a period of heightened cognitive discomfort and uneasiness from being oneself“ (Psychology Dictionary1). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works such as “Rappaccini's Daughter,”“Ethan Brand,” and “Young Goodman Brown” have characters, that embody the definition of loneliness. It is clear these short stories have lonely characters that have hit rock bottom. Not only are the characters in these stories lonely, but they are insane as well. In each of short stories, Hawthorne shows that the state of being lonely causes the characters to become insane.
Factors that can fuel loneliness are abundant: depression, trauma, social rejection, loss, low self-esteem, etc. The aspect of human connection and interaction is a psychological requirement for all people, even to those who push others away. These elements of isolation are presented through three methods in a 1938 novel of friendship. John Steinbeck uses indirect characterization, discrimination, and conflict to demonstrate the effects of loneliness and need for companionship in his novel Of Mice and Men.
In the story Cannery Row Loneliness is a main theme to the characters lives. One of these themes is Loneliness. 'He was a dark and lonesome looking man' No one loved him. No one cared about him'(Page 6). The severity of his solitude makes this theme one of the most important. The seclusion of this man can penetrate ones innermost thoughts and leave them with a sense of belonging after hearing of this characters anguish. In addition a man who was not entirely alone was still feeling secluded. ?In spite of his friendliness and his friends Doc was a lonely and set- apart man.?(Page 132). An individual could have many people around him but could still not have the one good friend that he needs. Seclusion comes in many different forms that can be d...
“‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is… I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick,” (Steinbeck 73). In this statement, Crooks, a character in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, divulges what effect loneliness can have on a human being. In the novel, the two main characters escape to a ranch where they must face the conflict that seems to follow them. Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, Steinbeck brilliantly portrays the loneliness and suspicion that was common during the time. Much like in everyday life, we can see the way in which loneliness drives people to become isolated, crave companionship, and refuse to express emotion.
Loneliness is destructive as humans need company to survive. Loneliness is described through the characters in this story when Curley’s wife is treated poorly by all of the men as none of them want Curley to get mad at them. “Well I ain’t giving you no
Isolation often creates dismay resulting in an individual facing internal conflicts with themselves. Ann experiences and endures unbearable loneliness to the point where she needs to do almost anything to
Throughout this powerful novel, we observe the injustice in societal rejection and the pain caused by this. However, another extremely dominating theme involving the need for friendship surfaces again and again in all of the prominent characters. The Creature's isolation reveals the effects that loneliness can have when it is the strongest feeling in one's life. Taken as a whole, while the ability to care for oneself is important, people will always need someone to be there when the road gets rough.
Stephen Marche Lets us know that loneliness is “not a state of being alone”, which he describes as external conditions rather than a psychological state. He states that “Solitude can be lovely. Crowded parties can be agony.”
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned. John Steinbeck brought up the theme of loneliness in many characters in Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Curley?s wife, and Candy expressed the theme of loneliness in many different forms throughout the story. Early in the novella George said, life working as ranch hands is on the loneliness lives to live, for these people finding friendship seems to be impossible.
Loneliness is usually a common and unharmful feeling, however, when a child is isolated his whole life, loneliness can have a much more morbid effect. This theme, prevalent throughout Ron Rash’s short story, The Ascent, is demonstrated through Jared, a young boy who is neglected by his parents. In the story, Jared escapes his miserable home life to a plane wreck he discovers while roaming the wilderness. Through the use of detached imagery and the emotional characterization of Jared as self-isolating, Rash argues that escaping too far from reality can be very harmful to the stability of one’s emotional being.
In life people are be alone by choice, no matter if it was flat out what the wanted or alone due to some kind of forced circumstance that grew out of a previous choice they made, but when it comes down to it loneliness is never truly desired. In the short stories A Painful Case and Eveline we see examples of each type of loneliness. In A Painful Case Mr. Duffy for the most part of his life chooses to be alone. In Eveline, Eveline seems to be lonely because she’s unable to leave her duties to her family. In both stories the main characters display their desire to have someone near but when they’re finally given the chance it’s inevitably taken away from them, and then they’re driven back into the entrapment of loneliness.
"Alone" by Maya Angelou explains how happiness can not be achieved if you don't have anyone to enjoy it with. She shows that no matter who you are or what you do, no one "can make it out here alone" (10). The poem is spoken by what is most likely a woman who is pondering her loneliness and unhappiness. She is not speaking directly to a specific person or group of people, but to humans as a whole. This poem describes to the reader how if they do not have friends, family, and their community to be there to help them in trouble, then they will be unhappy.
Loneliness is a reoccurring theme in all types of literature. “Eleanor Rigby,'; by John Lennon and Paul McCartney is a fine example of the theme of loneliness in poetry. The two characters in "Eleanor Rigby" are compared by their loneliness through the extensive use of symbols.
When exiled from society, loneliness becomes apparent within a person. The poems The Seafarer translated by S.A.J. Bradley and The Wife?s Lament translated by Ann Stanford have a mournful and forlorn mood. Throughout each poem exists immense passion and emotion. In the two elegiac poems there is hardship, loneliness and uncertainty for each character to live with.