1984 And The Dog In The Night Time Analysis

“How do Authors present an Outsider?”
Within the novels: “1984” by George Orwell, “The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger, “The Humans” by Matt Haig, and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” by Mark Haddon, themes of exclusion and the outsider perspective are expressed. “1984” follows Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party and his journey through realising the power hungry totalitarian ruling of the Inner Party (the government) and consequently disobeying the set expectations held for him. “The Catcher in the Rye” shows the life of Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year-old boy who wonders through New York City alone expressing his fear of adulthood and a distaste for maturity and “phoniness” that ensues as a result. “The Humans”
His duration on Earth is shown to be controlled by the hosts, but as time progresses, his changing opinions lead him to disobey and break free from their command. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” tells the perspective of Christopher Boone, a boy living with Asperger’s Syndrome (a type of autism) and his investigation of the death of Wellington, the neighbour’s dog. It tells of how he came to the startling realisation that his condition led to a disconnect between him and society. The authors acknowledge the commonality where an outsider is excluded from society, however, they express different approaches to suggest the concept of the outsider. These authors present the outsider perspective through similar attributes of them having different outlooks and opinions from the rest of society, expressing a degree of awareness to both themselves and the society that they live in, and through being influenced by external factors to portray
Winston Smith understood that he must act with complete love and dedication towards Big Brother; to comply completely and whole-heartedly to his demands and follow his beliefs and values. Winston held awareness of the repercussions that will result if he did not follow Big Brother’s beliefs and values; how his life would cease to exist. “The Thought Police would get him.” He attempts to fit into the expectations set for him in order to survive. It is perceived that Winston valued his life enough not to disobey publically and wholeheartedly. It is presented that he shows awareness if these influences and the ramifications that may follow. Likewise, Holden Caulfield shows understanding of the expectations held for him and how he has an inability to survive without aid and support in a mature society. Holden shows a want to prove that he is worthy of respect through his compulsive lying and deception. “I am the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.” Holden attempts to show maturity through lying about his accomplishments and his age in order to feed his tobacco addiction and alcoholism. Salinger implies that Holden enjoys the benefits of adulthood without the hard work and “phoniness” that coincides with it. The audience, therefore perceives Holden to be unable to be independent and self-reliant by following his