(Mark's Section) POV 2: Samuel Bruester, who was sentenced to solitary for five years

Eastern State was more torture or prison than reform center. 5 years of no contact with the outside world, apart from that obnoxious preacher and the occasional guard. Constant, unending boredom, or the constant threat of discovery and punishments if attempts to alleviate that boredom were discovered.

Life would seem scarily smaller, with low outlook on life, and the only hope for change relies on people coming by

“I am mad and eager to get out. I’d never be bad and have been cured by myself. Why [do] I have to stay here!”

It is funny to create the way to communicate with my buddies and neighbors. There’s no way for them to force me to welcome insolation.

Easter State tried to mentally break me down with silence and darkness.

Eastern State was a lonely, maddeningly quiet and boring cell, and unproductive waste of his time.

Eastern State Penitentiary is an unusual prison where inmates rarely have the chance to communicate with others, which makes me try to find ways to talk to other inmates more.

From the POV of Samuel Bruster, an uncooperative prisoner sentenced to five years of solitary confinement, ESP is a place where if you follow the rules and life a life in solidarity, it will drive you mad, as these conditions are not humane.

Eastern State cannot change me or control me, the “new prison” is just like all the rest and I will defeat it.

Solitary confinement was not a situation to be accepted without a fight.

5 years in solitary confinement. WHAT WOULD THAT ACCOMPLISH. Being thrown into a stone cell with only the “eye of God” for company. And they think that will lead me to repent? Are they insane? I refuse to sit here idly by myself. Especially knowing that there are more people like me right next door.

The solitary confinement was not going to make him a better person, it would just drive him mad. He had to be uncooperative to give himself something to do.

From the POV of Samuel Brewster, ESP was a waste of space that isn’t effective in its penitentiary methods to make me reflect on my wrongdoings.