Solitude In Life Of Pi, Raise The Red Lantern And Gravity

Solitude in Life and Literature

In numerous pieces of literature in the world today, characters often experience times of loneliness which result in a variety of different scenarios such as insanity, intense self-development and burdensome times of hardship. The works Brave New World, The Life of Pi, Raise the Red Lantern and Gravity are prime examples of films and novels that portray the motif of solitude through a single character within each work. Character’s coping with isolation from others evidently serve to intensify conflict within each work and, also to enhance the overall meaning of the story as well; hence, each narrator portrays loneliness as a contributing factor to psychological issues in these characters.

Character’s having

In the novel, Brave New World, John the Savage becomes psychologically ill during the stay at his final residence of a secluded lighthouse, as he becomes an outcast from civilization yet again. As a result of his newly irrational mindset and inability to remain content with society, John begins whipping himself uncontrollably to the point he eventually commits suicide. By vividly portraying the main character’s downfall, the narrator inevitably expresses John’s mental issues in his continuous solitude (Huxley 257). Similarly, in the film, Raise the Red Lantern, the narrator utilizes the main character, known as the Songlian, the fourth mistress, to portray the conflict within traditionally patriarchal Chinese families in a dark, negative tone. The fourth mistress becomes neglected by her master and becomes subject to extended period of solitude after causing the death of others within the family. At the conclusion of the film, the fourth mistress is portrayed as a psychopathic lady who spends the remainder of her life wandering the grounds of the Chen household. Therefore, through their mental breakdowns, John and Songlian clearly exemplify how characters become mentally unstable as their solitude becomes increasingly