The Experiences of Alienation, Insanity and Despair: The Zoo Story and Modernity

Abstract

The empty materialism of the post-War period brought the people into a particular area of possessing their own grandeur. It gave them the right to wander anywhere they sought after. But it was just like a cage where they were put aside and separated by bars from each other. In the guise of unity it played the role to scatter one from another. They intentionally injected the idea of being superior which consequently mugged the emotions of people and alienated them from each other. The ruling party who became benefitted by the War also became tycoon paying no heed to others. At the same time a sect of young generation lost their faith in the new trends. It made a trouble keeping both the aforesaid sects apart from each other. These two types of people of the post-War society are represented by Peter and Jerry respectively in The Zoo Story. All the necessary sectors i.e. political, social got a crazy look and influenced the contemporary trends in literature. Major collapse in morality increased alarmingly among people. All these matters happened to drive them towards a puzzle. Failing to solve the problems they became frustrated and this shook their mind desperately. The very modern men made them lunatic and thus insanity got its nest in their mind and in their actions. It seems that they are running around the cycle of alienation, insanity and despair keeping the ultimate ruin in its centre. It is not just a story but an up-to-date projection of modern life.