Response 10 (11/17)

The Outsider, unlike many of our other stories, was in a way sadder than what I had expected. To see the main character had been isolated (possibly from his horrible disfigurement) was very pitiful. I feel as though he had no chance to be anything else than what he was. Other characters that we have seen in the gothic at least had a happy beginning or a happy ending but the narrator had neither. He was sad and isolated the entire story and that was how he remained. He never had the chance for a proper living. I think this story shows a lot about loneliness and how it is one of the worst things a human can endure. Without other human contact, an isolated individual becomes inhuman in a way, which is the most horrifying thing to a fellow human. The story seemed slightly predictable in a way, however. Once the narrator caught glimpses of other people, who proceeded to run away from, it felt in a way obvious that he was the thing the people were afraid of. It’s like how in Frankenstein The creature was isolated before anyone even got to know how he was, they just feared what he looked like. This story also shows people truly how important appearances are to people. If the narrator and the creature looked like less harmful beings they could have been accepted by society. But because they are designed and described as grotesque beings they never had a chance to live normal lives. This goes to show that appearances are more important to us than we realize.