Isolation is a painful thing: from time-outs as a child to Friday nights spent alone as adults, we're conditioned to be repulsed by isolation. But Lyda's isolation from the Dome allows her to become her own woman. In fact, Lyda feels more isolated in the Dome than she does outside the Dome.
However, isolation from a community is different from being isolated from yourself. Partridge's pain comes from the fact that he has very little idea of who he's supposed to be—he's neither a Pure nor a wretch. That isolation haunts him.
Questions About Isolation
- Are the characters stronger because they've felt alone in the past? Or does that leave a certain sense of emptiness inside of them?
- Is El Capitan ever alone?
- Which character do you think feels the most trapped?