Isolation in Poetry and Music

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the recurring theme, in poetry, music and film, of isolation, loneliness and of being marginalized by society because a person is different. The paper discusses the song-poem "Vincent" by Don McLean, which looks at a portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. It then discusses the song, "Cry" by Casey Scott, which shows another form of marginalization of someone who is suffering from depression. Finally, the paper looks at the series "Six Feet Under" by Alan Ball and discusses the character of Billy, who is schizophrenic.

From the Paper:

"While almost all the regular characters on the show are on the fringes of societal norms and it is well known that this series highlights dysfunctional people and families. I think Billy is the saddest. He is diagnosed as schizophrenic and he is also a photo artist. Poor Billy lives the dreaded life of the life long mental patient. (Remember that this illness also has chemical and physical causes.) Billy on medication is likable and productive. He teaches photography and earns a good living. However, he has no edge to make his own photo essays unique. He is creatively dead. Billy off medication is sometimes wildly wonderful or violently insane and dangerous to himself and others. Billy constantly struggles with his desire to feel strong passion, which he cannot do while medicated. However, when he goes off medication, his life becomes a ruin."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baldwin, James Mark, ed. Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology: Including Many of the Principal Conceptions of Ethics, Logic, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Religion, Mental Pathology, Anthropology, Biology, Neurology, Physiology, Economics, Political and Social Philosophy, Philology, Physical Science, and Education and Giving a Terminology in English, French, German and Italian. New York: The Macmillan company, 1901. Questia. 2 Oct. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=100099626>.
• Ball, Alan 2006 . Six Feet Under . HBO Original Series . http://www.hbo.com/sixfeetunder/?ntrack_para1=leftnav_category0_show13
• Claridge, Gordon. "Chapter 10 Creativity and Madness: Clues from Modern Psychiatric Diagnosis." Genius and the Mind: Studies of Creativity and Temperament. Ed. Andrew Steptoe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. 226-245. Questia. 2 Oct. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=34372339>.
• David, Henry P., and Helmut Von Bracken, eds. Perspectives in Personality Theory. New York: Basic Books, 1957. Questia. 2 Oct. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101065455>.
• Hershman, D. Jablow, and Julian Lieb. Manic Depression and Creativity. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998. Questia. 2 Oct. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96870683>.

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