Essay | Loneliness and Despair: Recurrent Themes in Literature

Not much is worse than feeling all alone in the world, feeling like no one cares or understands. The complete emptiness of being solitary for long periods of time is enough to drive someone crazy; enough to make up imaginary people living with in the confines of a room. It is enough to force an older woman to put complete confidence in a stranger that probably doesn't care at all. Lack of attention from a husband can be one of the worst forms of loneliness for a woman to endure.

Every detail of both "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck drips in loneliness and solitude. These stories, so similar in theme, leave the audience with a feeling of complete and total desolation. Both authors know how to use their words to convey the intense feelings of...
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