Tranquility Amidst Turbulence
I have yet to encounter a person who did not feel the need for a haven of refuge and solace, where he may unwind, relax and find peace and succor in these times which are fraught with trouble, distress, sorrow and insecurity. This refuge may be in the form of a mall, a club, or a restaurant where food, friendship and fellowship are available and retail therapy is possible. Some people find contentment, just sitting around sipping tea or coffee in a cafe, or imbibing stronger stuff at a bar, while managing to be in solitude, near and yet, like the title of Thomas Hardy’s novel, far from the madding crowd. For others, it could be the local library or an isolated place of worship by the wayside where the comforting silence envelopes and shields them like an electric blanket from the Arctic cold of the world outside. Still for others, their individual cocoons could be the world of their imaginations. I too, have a place where I enjoy serenity in the midst of chaos. It is the room that I share with the love of my life, and where I spend a third of my life, the bedroom.
My husband and I live in a four bedroom, three and a half bath, two car garage, two storey villa with a flower garden in the front and a well maintained backyard. I consider my home a prime example for tranquility amidst turbulence because in spite of its location near an interstate highway and a tollway turnpike, the area around the house is relatively quiet, as the result of which, my home enjoys its repose. Even within the house, the bedroom that we occupy holds the position of being the most restful room.
In order to describe our bedroom, one has to know that it is a master bedroom or suite because it comes with an en-suite ...
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...o to when I want to have a heart to heart conversation with God. This is the place where I have shed many tears and also had them wiped away. While the fact remains that my husband’s work and my studies takes a demanding toll of our time, we try to ensure that at the end of the day, we spend some time together. We have realised during our five years of marriage that when we keep God and family first, all the rest of our priorities fall into place the way they should. This room has helped play a role, albeit a minor one, in granting us this goal. It is an added boon in that it has granted solace to our weary souls and bodies. The lick on my fingers pulls me back from my reverie, I see my German Shepherd dog running around me in happy abandon. I look up to see my husband standing at the door, smiling and telling me that breakfast is ready. I smile back. I am home.
In the silent era of Brockmeier’s city, individuals grew into a lethargic existence, “The drunks in the bars turned amiable and mild. The jails were unusually tranquil...The great roar of the city had stopped, [the birds in cockfights] becoming as useless as pigeons, virtually impossible to provoke to violence” (Brockmeier 53). Indeed, “The silence was beneficial for us” as suggested by modern science, but people began to remember what they lost: “the fire, the vigor, that came with a lack of ease” (Brockmeier 61). To be more concise, this fire and vigor came with the difficulty and the thrill of the chase, “Our lives seemed no less purposeful than they had during the silence, but it was as if that purpose were waiting several corners away from us now, rather than hovering in front of our eyes” (Brockmeier 62). Of course, while Brockmeier is merely describing these traits as a benefit or asset of silence or noise respectively, it could be applied with relevancy to the state of the individual. Meditation is only gaining popularity while “low-noise” becomes a commodity sought after; however, perhaps in the hunt of silence, individuals often neglect to learn the ability to thrive in dissonance. While Brockmeier reminds us of the
...nfined with total loss of control. In solitude, the mind roams freely in its own dangerous secluded world.
Manipulation of the human condition, by where and with who contentment and satisfaction is found, is fabricated through experiences which dictate direction and purpose. William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It (1611) explores individuals escaping a world poisoned by man’s inhumanity to man, to an ideal bliss where community thrives from the joyous aura circulating amongst people. Gillian Dawson’s short story, East Wind captures disconnection from place and people as a powerful driving force to find fulfilment. Further, the texts explore comfort and security spurring from the unexpected, revealing change in human nature at an instant.
A common theme among many literary works set during the depression era is alienation. In these works of fiction characters often become isolated which cause them to be alienated by society as well as their family. In the short stories such as “To Set Our House in Order” by Margret Laurence and “The Lamp at Noon” by Sinclair Ross, we see characters that face these conditions. As a result the authors address the theme of alienation in similar ways, yet develop it in their own unique methods.
Isolation can be a somber subject. Whether it be self-inflicted or from the hands of others, isolation can be the make or break for anyone. In simpler terms, isolation could range anywhere from not fitting into being a complete outcast due to personal, physical, or environmental factors. It is not only introverted personalities or depression that can bring upon isolation. Extroverts and active individuals can develop it, but they tend to hide it around crowds of other people. In “Richard Cory,” “Miniver Cheevy,” The Minister’s Black Veil,” and “Not Waving but Drowning,” E.A. Robinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Stevie Smith illustrate the diverse themes of isolation.
Whenever a stranger enters an unfamiliar society, a clash between the outsider’s practices and society’s guidelines undoubtedly occurs. Whether the resulting conflict minimally or powerfully affects the people involved depends on the situation, but usually the results are monumental. In the short stories “The Blue Hotel,” “The Displaced Person,” and “Bernice Bobs her Hair,” and the novel In Dubious Battle, society’s fear of the stranger has severe negative consequences for the newcomer, as the community’s rules prevail over the outsiders in the end.
Social withdrawal and social isolation can make it difficult to do the things you normally would enjoy or sometimes make it hard to get through the day. There are ways to avoid becoming distant. In “A Rose for Emily,” “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” “Miniver Cheevy,” “Miss Brill,” “Richard Cory,” and “Not Waving but Drowning,” each author uses the theme of isolation to illustrate all the literature.
In Raymond Carver's Cathedral “appear...extreme versions of insularity,from a husband's self-imposed confinement to a living room in 'Preservation' to another's pathetic reluctance to leave an attic garret in 'Careful'” (Meyer). One of Carver's chief goals in cathedral is to criticize people who fail, in one way or another, to communicate with society. In almost every short story, the main character suffers from insularity due to a horrible event in his or her life, alcoholism, or a failure to consider others' thoughts and feelings. The stories, “Careful,” “Preservation,” “Cathedral,” and “The Compartment” easily represent the entire novel's theme of the inability to relate with others. Each of these stories shows a slightly different degree of affliction, circumstance, and character types making the entire novel effective to a broad audience. Carver wants people to stop thinking that “[the loss of the ability to interact with others] is something that happens to other people” (Carver 25)
In Pat Mora’s “Sonrisas,” A woman tells the audience that she lives in between two worlds: her vapid office workplace and a kitchen/break-room with family members or colleagues of her same heritage. Mora includes many sensory details to enrich our understanding of the speaker’s experience in both “rooms.” The speaker is content living in the “hallway” between the two rooms because she can put on a metaphorical mask, as mentioned in Jungian psychology, which fits what is acceptable to the different social society that is in each room of her life. Adrienne Rich on the other hand, is not content with peeking her head into the doorframes of the roles she must play in order to be accepted. In her poem, “Diving into The Wreck,” she pursues, in my opinion, a form of individuation by diving into the wreck of her inner consciousness to find who she is among the wreckage of the world and its effects on her. Both Pat Mora and Adrienne Rich explore the dangers of being defined by others and the rewards of exploring different worlds.
My room is the only place where I am most comfortable due to the way how I personally decorated it. My room fits my personality and nothing in my room distracts nor annoys me. Everything fits my preference: the size of my bed, its setting, its organization, and the low quantity of baubles scattered around the room. My room can either be clamorous or silent.
In today’s society, isolation often becomes both a physical and emotional influence on an individual who does not experience any social interactions. These influences can lead individuals to develop a need to distract themselves from their boredom through temptation. In Sinclair Ross’s short story, “The Painted Door”, Ann overcomes her isolation through her infidelity which ultimately cost her, her marriage. Ross develops the idea that isolation is crucial because internal conflicts and desires create temptation resulting in infidelity.
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.
within one’s environment. In T he Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and T he
Do you ever feel trapped when you are in a place that you have never been before? Isolation criticizes society since it does not let everyone be equal or have the same rights. Isolation can completely change a person, and it is usually for the worst. Society “acts” like they try to prevent isolation, but in reality they isolate people for certain reasons, then those people get judged for being “different.” Upon closer inspection it is human nature to deny equal rights because people that do not act, dress, or look the same are labeled as strange, and unfortunately, many times are not accepted by the majority of society. This gives authors a way to shine a light on society’s flaws.
In the early summer mornings, when the sunshine is young and playful, inside the church another realm is born. Sitting in the back rows one can see a heavenly mist flowing though the windows and filling the sleepy altar with life and hope. It is a different dimension in the breast of an unsuspecting world. Moments such as these bring you joy and reassurance and also show you that there really is someone out there: your soul is elevated, your mind is thirsty for new experiences and your body is strengthened.