Travis Bickle says that he's "God's Lonely Man." However, instead of using his solitude the way a medieval hermit might've (to empathize more with the suffering of humanity), isolation plunges him into despair and hatred for humanity throughout Taxi Driver. He blames the corruption of the world for his suffering, even though, in large part, it comes from his own imperfect ability to communicate—like when he thinks taking Betsy to a porn film would be a good idea for a first date.
Since he has no one he can really talk to—despite the best efforts of Wizard and the friendliness of Betsy—he can't gain any measure of perspective on himself, which provokes him to lash out.
Questions about Isolation
- How common is Travis' condition? Do you think a lot of people are isolated to this degree?
- What kind of circumstances cause someone to fall into this state of isolation—both in Travis' case and in general?
- What should Travis have done to fix his sense of isolation?
- Why doesn't Travis know how to remedy his sense of isolation? How could he have found the tools to do so?
Chew on This
Real happiness and value are found in interacting with other people in the community. Travis isn't doing enough to fix his problems.
Solitude (as distinct from loneliness and isolation) can actually help certain individuals in attaining great insights or achievements. Travis has the ability to use his solitude more constructively.