Bernard Maclaverty's Remote Essay

Set in an island during the festive season of Christmas, Bernard MacLaverty’s compelling short story ‘Remote’ portrays the effects of mental, emotional and social isolation a helpless elderly woman faces and struggles with through exceptional characterisation. Through the use of a variety of techniques, MacLaverty creates a realistic and convincing character through his presentation of the central theme of isolation.

A notable characteristic of the woman, as created by the author, is slightly mad. Her actions of desperation appear to the audience as being slightly eccentric and unconventional. MacLaverty’s word choice in the phrase “she dashed, slamming the door after her and running in her stiff legged fashion” helps convey this characteristic of the woman. Although her actions described in the phrase does not come across as being realistic due to the unusual desperation and overexcitement it suggests, as we progress through the story and come to understand how difficult her journey of life has been, those actions begin to make sense to the readers and has
Although he has used various techniques throughout the text to create this character, the fact that he left her nameless and anonymous is the most powerful technique of them all. This anonymity can be perceived from many different angles, one being as an enhancement of the character’s loneliness, isolation and remoteness. Referring to her manner, it is also symbolic of her aloofness. Another connotation invoked by the anonymity is that the text isn't merely on the subject of the woman. Moreover, it is relevant to the millions of people around the world who are caught up by isolation- a devastating plight to the human psyche. Thus, the anonymity rounds off MacLaverty’s creation of the realistic and convincing character for many reasons: due to the sympathy it lets rise in the readers as well as the fact that many could relate to the character in some