Isolation and Alienation

Where it surfaces

• Bartleby

  Bartleby's extreme isolation is highlighted by his living in the office, his silent staring at a brick wall, and his refusal to engage with others.

• The Encantadas

  The Encantadas are depicted as a place of profound physical and emotional isolation, exemplified by Hunilla's abandonment and Oberlus's solitary tyranny.

• Sketch Fourth: A Pisgah View from the Rock

  The islands are described as 'immemorial solitudes' with no inhabitants, history, or hope, reinforcing a sense of isolation.

• Sketch Seventh: Charles's Isle and the Dog-King

  Charles's Isle is a remote, barren place that becomes a refuge for outcasts and deserters, yet its inhabitants are alienated from the rest of the world, shunned by passing ships.

• Sketch Eighth: Norfolk Isle and the Chola Widow

  Hunilla's 180 days alone on Norfolk Isle exemplify extreme isolation and the psychological toll of solitude.

• Sketch Ninth: Hood's Isle and the Hermit Oberlus

  Oberlus lives alone on a barren volcanic island, his isolation twisting him into a misanthropic tyrant.

• Sketch Tenth: Runaways, Castaways, Solitaries, Gravestones, etc.

  The isles are depicted as a place of extreme solitude, where hermits and runaways live in desolate isolation, often abandoned by society and left to fend for themselves.

• The Happy Failure

  The solitary nature of the uncle's ten-year endeavor and the secretive testing on a remote island underscore themes of isolation and alienation from society.

• The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids

  The bachelors' isolated, self-contained world contrasts with the maids' alienating labor in the mill.

• The Paradise of Bachelors

  The bachelors' insulated, carefree existence in the Temple is portrayed as a deliberate retreat from the wider world, suggesting a form of social isolation from family and societal responsibilities.

• The Tartarus of Maids

  The narrator's solitary journey and the pale, silent female workers highlight themes of isolation and alienation in industrial settings.

• Jimmy Rose

  Jimmy's lonely existence, dependent on charity and tolerated rather than welcomed, highlights his alienation from his former social circle.

• The 'Gees

  The 'Gees are portrayed as a marginalized, isolated people—a 'residuum' left behind after the 'likelier sort' were drafted off, and they are treated with contempt by seamen.

• The Piazza

  Marianna's profound loneliness is central to the chapter; she lives in near-total seclusion, with only her brother and her thoughts for company.

• VI

  Vere's intellectual leanings and pedantic reputation alienate him from his fellow officers, who find him lacking in 'the companionable quality.'

• XIII

  Billy's inability to fully confide in anyone, even the Dansker, and his growing unease reflect his isolation aboard the ship.

• Daniel Orme

  Daniel Orme is portrayed as a solitary figure, unsociable and moody, living apart from others even in his retirement, and dying alone on a height.

• Temple Second

  The narrator feels utterly alone and outcast among the crowds of London, a penniless stranger in a vast city.