A High Wind in Jamaica · Theme
Alienation and Detachment
How A High Wind in Jamaica develops Alienation and Detachment.
The children, especially Emily, exhibit a profound emotional detachment from events, treating trauma (earthquakes, piracy, death) as ordinary or even entertaining, highlighting a disconnect between adult and child perception.
Where it surfaces
- III
The children and sailors are unable to communicate, leading to a formal and awkward atmosphere that highlights their separation from one another.
- IV
The children feel isolated and uncomfortable in the strange hold, unable to laugh at Captain Jonsen's odd appearance, and question why they have been taken.
- V
The children feel deeply uncomfortable witnessing the mate's emotional display, sensing their own status as unwanted guests on the ship.
- VI
Emily's emotional distance from her surroundings and the pirates highlights her sense of alienation. She is physically present but psychologically removed from the events unfolding around her.
- I
After her realization, Emily feels detached from the other children and their games, observing them with impersonal attention.
- II
Emily feels alienated from the other children after biting the captain, and Margaret's withdrawal from the group and secretive behavior highlight themes of isolation and detachment.
- I
Emily's inner life is described as vast, complicated, and nebulous, with a baby-mind that cannot be translated into human terms, emphasizing her detachment.
- II
Emily feels isolated and terrified in the cabin with the Dutch captain, while the other children are distant and the pirates are absorbed in their own cruel games.
- I
The pirates treat the children with detached severity, and the children themselves feel the change in atmosphere.
- II
Emily feels isolated, unable to trust the adults around her, and experiences a profound sense of being an outcast from normal life.
- V
Jonsen's nostalgic thought of his home in Lübeck highlights his emotional isolation and detachment from his current life.
- IX
The children's gradual detachment from their former lives and their strange acceptance of life aboard the pirate ship underscores their alienation from normal society.
- I
Jonsen's solitary vigil and his inability to see the enemy reflect a profound sense of isolation and disconnection from the world around him.
- III
Emily feels detached from her own body and mind, experiencing a surreal sense of dislocation as she is transferred from the pirate ship to the steamer.
- I
Emily's inability to call Miss Dawson 'Lulu' and her subsequent avoidance create a painful emotional distance, highlighting her detachment from normal social intimacy.
- II
The children's confusion in the fog and train, and Margaret's exclusion, underscore a sense of displacement and emotional distance.
- IV
Margaret's detachment and the children's collective disengagement from the serious interrogation highlight their emotional distance from the events and from adult authority.
- VIII
Emily is described as a 'poor little thing' who must forget her terrible experiences, suggesting her detachment from her new surroundings.
