Twice-Told Tales.: Being an Outsider

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Being an Outsider

In both books, The Jungle Book and The Graveyard Book we are introduced to a protagonist who is an outsider in the community, under normal circumstances they wouldn’t belong in this community. Both books make references throughout of the characters respective status as outsiders. Particularly at the very end of the books the characters are reminded that they are not meant to be there. One moment where we can see this in The Graveyard Book when it is nearing the time for Bod to leave the Graveyard he is asked, “Do you know what you’re going to do now?” she asked. “See the world,” said Bod. (147) This exchange shows that although he came of age in the graveyard Bod is an outsider and further he realizes that he will need to leave the jungle at one point. In a similar way Mowgli is in the same situation as Bod and grew up an outsider in the situation and will one day see the world.

What is interesting is that in none of the books we have read thus far do the characters really belong. While writing this I realized this is a common theme between all of the books where the characters are outsiders. What is more is that all of these characters, despite being outsiders, get an inside perspective on these various communities. Much like Yunior doesn’t belong in the United States and Dante doesn’t belong in hell the characters in the Jungle Books and The Graveyard Book do not belong in their respective places either. Their newfound environment in turn helps contribute to their personal growth and they evolve as characters as a result of being outsiders in their respective environments. Lastly, while they may leave the impact of their experiences is lasting and the environment has left its mark.

1 comment:

UnknownApril 29, 2015 at 1:40 PM
As Martin mentioned, there seems to be a common theme of being an outsider throughout our course reading selections. I also noticed this trend as I read The Graveyard Book. The “outsiders” are perhaps most obvious in the characters of Bod and Mowgli, but I can certainly see how Yunior and many of the Dominican and Dominican-American characters in Diaz’s works also seem to feel out of place. As Amanda said in her comment on Zach’s post, the angst the characters experience with their status of being an outsider is very well captured in Bod’s voice. Perhaps because it is the simple voice of a child, Gaiman’s feelings of being an outsider shine through in the little boy’s thoughts and feelings. Just as Mowgli is tempted by the monkeys in The Jungle Book, Bod is persuaded by the Duke of Westminster, the Honorable Archibald Fitzhugh, and the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Bod is feeling unloved and like more of an outsider than usual. Gaiman says, “He stomped off into the graveyard, feeling unloved and underappreciated” (73). Bod has a fight with his parents then wanders the graveyard in search of someone to appreciate him. The anxiety about needed a community is very well described not only in this case but also in the section where the dead are preparing for the Dance of the Macabray and Bod is excluded because he is undead. Anxiety and angst about being an outsider is seen at any age, but is most clearly described through the eyes of a little boy in a strange community.
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