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The Madman · Theme

Solitude and Aloneness

How The Madman develops Solitude and Aloneness.

The value and necessity of solitude is a recurring theme, with the madman finding 'freedom of loneliness' and insisting on being alone in his thoughts, feelings, and experiences, as in 'My Friend' where he says 'I would be at sea alone' and 'I would be in Hell alone.'

Where it surfaces

  • Prologue

    The Madman finds 'freedom of loneliness' and 'safety from being understood,' highlighting the paradoxical comfort in isolation.

  • My Friend

    The narrator repeatedly insists on being alone—at sea, in night, in Hell, in laughter, and in madness—emphasizing his essential solitude.

  • The Two Cages

    Both the lion and the sparrow are caged, isolated from their natural habitats and from each other, yet they share a bond of imprisonment.

  • Defeat

    Defeat is described as 'my solitude and my aloofness,' and the speaker finds aloneness and the joy of being shunned.

  • Night and the Madman

    Night points out that the Madman still desires a sister-spirit and has not become alone unto himself, contrasting with Night's complete solitude.

  • The Greater Sea

    The quest for a hidden, lonely place to bathe underscores the need for solitude away from society's many roles.

  • The Great Longing

    The narrator, mountain, and sea are united in loneliness, yet their bond is deep and strange, highlighting a shared solitude.

  • When My Sorrow Was Born

    After Sorrow's death, the narrator is left utterly alone, speaking unheard and walking unseen, highlighting the theme of isolation.

  • And When My Joy Was Born

    Joy dies because no one else shares in it, highlighting the theme of isolation.