Isolation In Hello Monster

The mind can become its own enemy after long periods of isolation. In the story Hello, Monster, Dave starts to lose control of his emotions, and his thoughts were clouded by fear, anxiety and despair, after being isolated. Likewise, after being cut off from society for several weeks, with no human interaction, Richard Pine started to revert back to utilizing only his survival instincts. Also, when Dr. Robert Neville lost his last link to society, he lost all hope and was ready to give up. Without any human interaction, the mind starts to become an enemy of itself.

In Hello, Monster, when Dave was first trapped he was hopeful of escaping the sewers and returning back to his normal life. However as night fell, the mind could not handle being

outside of its natural environment. The new environment,s was one in which the mind could not communicate with others, unable to tell time, hungry and in an uncomfortable place. Therefore, this all led to the dark emotions rising and controlling Dave. “He might be able to thrust his hand through the grate and grab him”, was what came to Dave’s mind during his conversation with the boy. Because of being isolated for several hours, Dave was starting to lose a sense of what's right and what's wrong, and he was simply trying to get out of those sewers. However, this was something that directly conflicted with his father like instincts, and Dave was truly lost. After Dave started to talk with Max he regained control over his body, but this self-control could not have been possible without contact with other humans. Ultimately the isolation led to his mind starting to almost turn on itself, and lose all morals, but Dave was saved by the conversations with Max.

The consequences of long-term isolation can be seen in Richard Pine, throughout his efforts to survive on the deserted island.

After he arrived at the island, day by day he was losing his links to society. For instance, first he lost broke his watch, and this made keeping track of time impossible. After that, he cannibalized upon himself, which is seen as a sin in most societies. The third link to society that was destroyed after arriving at the island was isolation. The only physical link he had left to society, and that kept him going, was his book. However, this was not enough, to keep Richard from transforming into an animal that utilizes only its instincts to survive. His unethical actions were justified simply by saying that he has a superior mind and that this was the only way to survive. However this all led to him becoming something inhumane. “I'm a monster now, a freak”, Richard said while looking at his reflection. When Richard says he has turned into a monster, he is not only talking about his physical change, but also the change in his mentality and ethics. For instance, at the beginning of the story

he was reluctant in using the heroin, and claimed it to be worthless, however by the end he had become an addict. By eating his own leg, Richard proves that his mind and body is superior to that of an average person, because cannibalising upon themselves is not something an average person would think of. Nevertheless, in the end, even Richards superior mind was destroyed

by isolation from a society. Without any human contact there was nothing to guide Richard, and ultimately Richard became a monster that will do anything to survive another day.

A link to society is something that can give an isolated person hope, of returning back to where he belongs and this link can be as simple as a dog. In I Am Legend, the dog, Sam, was very important to Robert Neville. It gave Neville hope for a brighter future. However, when Sam died, Neville’s hope died with her. There was no point for him to continue to struggle to find a cure for the disease, because everyone that he loved had died. The complete isolation from society, controlled his emotions, and then his actions. Due to his life having no value remaining, he went on a suicide mission. If a person’s mind is weak, the isolation from society may end up costing them their life.

Isolation from other people can have a devastating impact on the human mind. In Hello, Monster, a loving and caring father was about to traumatize a child, in order to escape from the sewers and the isolation. Another example is the above average mind of Richard Pine, losing all morals and ethics that make him human, simply to survive another day. After Robert Neville’s last link to society died, his dog, he was ready to commit suicide, because he could not handle being in a world all alone. In conclusion, to be exempt from society can lead to devastating consequences on the mind and the body.