Exile

I think that the ignorance displayed by the people of Clare’s town towards the destruction of their precious environment reflects his town’s social ignorance. This parallel stood out to me at the end of chapter two. Initially, I did not see the connection between the destruction of Clare’s calming environment and of Clare’s feelings of social isolation, but then I perceived it to represent his terror of exile. It is a difficult concept to grapple with, as Clare himself attempted to express his feelings of exile in chapter two. His awareness that he is different than his peers terrifies him. As his childhood safe places seem to disappear, he fears that his childhood town would completely disappear from his life. This idea seems like a relatable aspect to many people’s lives--the terror of being cut off from a place that already semi-accepts us. Because Clare struggled to conceive a sense of identity before he left his town, he had to cling on to the place that may soon exile him due to his differences. His knowledge of this harsh reality presents itself as terror.