Alienation and Isolation

All of the novel’s central characters experience forms of alienation and isolation, and through the exploration of these dynamics, the narrative illustrates how both internal and external factors contribute to such states. For example, Lanny’s parents feel isolated both in terms of setting and interpersonal relationships, and thus their alienation is a matter both of emotional experience and practical environment. Both Jolie and Robert feel uncomfortable and isolated in the village and yearn for the days when they lived in London. Jolie states in narration, “I felt depressed, when we moved here…I felt scrutinised” (60), and Robert feels most comfortable when in London for work. Moreover, they are both treated as outsiders by many of the villagers, specifically because they moved to the village from London and did not grow up in the village itself. These factors, alongside the disconnection between them...