Ostracism In Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes

As clever as human beings are, we still rely on social groups for survival. We evolved to live in cooperative societies, and for most of human history we depended on those groups for our lives. Like hunger or thirst, our need for acceptance emerged as a mechanism for survival. But when we don't have that, we tend to become disconnected from society, which ultimately leads to social rejection. Being socially rejected can also be the reason why people commit horrific acts. In the novel Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult shows that being socially ostracized can affect someone's life significantly.
Throughout human history ostracism has been a problem within society. Ostracism often expresses group fear, either physical or spiritual. A person can be ostracized due to illness, physical difference, or even normal bodily functions considered threatening. Ostracism has been a common strategy in dealing with those considered deviants or low-status by the group and is linked to all forms of prejudice. Peter Hughington in the book Nineteen Minutes is socially ostracized because he is not like the other kids. He poses a threat to social groups because he is different and not popular. Peter is considered a person of low status and no one wants to be associated with that type of person.
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Ostracization impairs the four basic human needs; belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence. It dramatically raises anxiety levels, causes depression, despondency and sometimes actual physical pain. Some people recover differently and use the act of violence to cope with this event. Some individuals want to see other people suffer as a way of dealing with social unacceptance. They use other people's pain and grieving as a way of healing themselves. In the end, recovery from social unacceptance is difficult and is not an easy situation to come back