# How does Deadlock develop the theme of Alienation and Belonging?

> Deadlock by Dorothy M. Richardson

## Answer

Deadlock by Dorothy M. Richardson develops Alienation and Belonging across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

Miriam frequently feels like an outsider—in her boarding house, at work, and even in her own family—yet she also experiences moments of profound connection to London and to certain individuals, highlighting her search for a place where she truly belongs.

Miriam feels like an outsider when she interrupts Mrs. Bailey and Mr. Gunner, highlighting her sense of not fully belonging to the boarding house community.

Miriam feels a sense of alienation in the boarding house and the library, yet finds a new kind of belonging in the presence of Mr. Shatov, who forces her to think and communicate.

Miriam feels a sense of homecoming with her sisters, yet also observes the distance and misunderstandings between them, highlighting themes of connection and isolation.

## Evidence

- [i](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/i.md): Miriam feels like an outsider when she interrupts Mrs. Bailey and Mr. Gunner, highlighting her sense of not fully belonging to the boarding house community.
- [ii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/ii.md): Miriam feels a sense of alienation in the boarding house and the library, yet finds a new kind of belonging in the presence of Mr. Shatov, who forces her to think and communicate.
- [iii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/iii.md): Miriam feels a sense of homecoming with her sisters, yet also observes the distance and misunderstandings between them, highlighting themes of connection and isolation.
- [iv](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/iv.md): Miriam finds a sense of belonging in her solitude and the ink-stained table, contrasting with her previous alienation.
- [v](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/v.md): Miriam feels a sense of separation from her daily life and finds belonging in her inner world of translation and in her interactions with Mr. Shatov.
- [vi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/vi.md): Miriam feels alienated by Mr. Shatov's reductive view of her as merely 'English' and struggles with her place in the world of writers, feeling cut off from both clever society and innocent aspirants.
- [vii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/vii.md): Miriam feels disconnected from her friends and the audience, struggling to share her insights, yet finds a temporary connection with Lucie Duclaux.
- [viii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/deadlock_se/chapters/viii.md): Miriam's sense of being an outsider in the world of work and her feeling that the world is 'a nightmare' underscore her alienation and search for belonging.

## Links

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