Bleakness In Edgar Allen Poe's The Cage

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Humans have a tendency to shy away from their sufferings. People are known to reach for stimulants in desperation, overriding the prudence of good judgment. Resorting to alcohol, Edgar Allan Poe himself escaped from painful recollections of his loved ones. “It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” This quotation written by Edgar Allen Poe, explains the very heart of human behaviour. Humans are notorious for their ability to focus on the negative aspects of life and those who do not acknowledge the bleakness of the world are often caught in the trap of distracting themselves from the agony that surrounds them. The hopelessness within …show more content…

She begins to illuminate the effects of this environment through the characters inclination to isolate themselves. As the hope of escape begins to dwindle, so does the ability to make wise decisions. Shepherd then moves onto the characters weakness of trusting one another. This shows how a bleak environment leads to numerous arguments which ultimately determine the fate of the characters. As a final point, Shepherd solidifies that humans living in captivity can lose their sanity, leading them to act animalistic. These characters each uniquely demonstrate the loss of humanity and how they are forever jaded by this world. The Cage, written by Megan Shepherd demonstrates that humans will succumb to their weaknesses over their better judgement when held …show more content…

This leads them to isolate themselves from what is left of civilization. The characters thoughtless actions begin as Cora flees from Lucky in complete devastation. After Lucky reveals his true identity, “[Cora] plunged into the shadows of the forest…Running, running, running. She felt like [a] rat. Running endlessly, going nowhere (Shepherd 194-195). The desperation Cora feels to escape the truth dominates her sensibility as a human. Her impulsive actions put her in a grave situation with the possibility of facing incurring danger in a dark forest. The intensity of the situation affects her rational behaviour leading her to act on instinct. Cora acts immaturely as she runs away from her problems. The fact that she compares herself to a rat shows how utterly lost and confused she feels as she runs, trying to escape the horrors of this seemingly perfect world. This provokes her inability to think in a sensible manner resulting in her reckless decision to isolate herself. These actions reflect upon Cora’s hopelessness to remain sane as her once known world crumbles around her. Building on this idea, as Cora encounters Leon in the forest, his deranged behaviour arouses when he is reminded of his sister. Seeing Cora right afore, Leon mistakes her for his sister. In his lost mind, fantasy becomes reality, confirming his bizarre thoughts. As Cora approaches Leon, “He cocked his

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