The Theme of Loneliness in I Am the King of the Castle Essay -- Susan

The novel I am the King of the Castle clearly explores the themes of bleakness, sadness and depression in its plot. All of the maincharacters have difficulties with relationships and end up facingdepressive moments and experiences, some insignificant but somecrucial and terrifying.Joseph Hooper (father), Edmund Hooper (son) and Charles Kingshaw arethree characters presentation explicit loneliness almost throughout thewhole novel. Their loneliness is shown by several reasons and causedby a large number of factors, most involving family issues.Joseph Hoopers loneliness is caused mainly by his e veryday lifestyleand habits. The loss of his wife made him deserted and very distantfrom his own son, Edmund Hooper. He is absent from the life of hisson, ending up with having no one at all.Susan Hill makes us notice Joseph Hoopers loneliness in several waysusing special techniques. It is easy to tell he is lonely withouthaving to read much into the allow or into his character. He doesnthave a wife, and is not close to his son at all, neither bycompanionship nor by simply skillful educating him. Susan Hill alsodescribes him in a very insecure way. We can notice this because he isalways trying to prove himself to other people, even to his son,showing immaturity and lack of confidence. His timidity allows him tobe easily vulnerableHe shrank from the impression in the boys eyes, from hisknowingness. He was his mothers son.Joseph hooper is so apprehensive, he is threatened by his own son. Wecan notice he is also a kind of desperate guy by the way he actstowards Miss Kingshaw and by the fact that he wants her recieves herin his house without even knowing her well enough. His insecur... ...alone with no one looking after him leads him into avery narrowed mind, that suggests that he needs to be alone and be thebest when actually the thing he most wants is enchantment and worship.Kingshaws suffering for the most part comes from his mothers atitude, but he isso used to also being alone that he dosent attemp to save himself orask for help, he gives up taking death as an easier option thanpersistance and fighting. Susan Hills cinematic view, helps to createtension and increases the characters feelings. The theme loneliness iscarried through the whole book. It is actually the principal subjectand doesent even get better at the end. As well as leading one of thecharacters to suicide, the loneliness remais because Hooper got whathe wanted at the end but he is in fact still alone and miseralble withthe same deterring father and Miss Kingshaw.