DEFINITION OF TERMS

Alienation is the estrangement of the literary character or persona from something with which

he/she has been, should be, or would like to be in conformity and consonance. This condition

occurs only in characters who have acknowledged that they are supposed to have some kind of

connection with another entity.

Exile describes either the state, or a character who is removed from his or her native land. This

exile can be forced or voluntary.

Neurosis is a disorder that alienates a character from his or her real self, as it affects one’s mentality

and personality, both in terms of how others perceive him or her and how he or she perceives

himself or herself.

An outsider is character who feels alienated from others, whether it be other people or society as

a whole.

Psychoanalysis is a type of literary criticism focuses on characters’ motivations, especially

unconscious ones. It uncovers how past experiences, especially those within the family during a

person’s formative years, influence present behavior.

Psychology is the general field of study under which Psychoanalysis belongs. It sheds light on the

relationship between the self and its objects—in other words, how a person’s relationship with the

rest of the world affects the development of his self.