Alienation in the novels of Randolph Stow

Abstract

The following is a discussion of alienation as a theme in three of Randolph Stow's novels: To The Islands, Visitants and The Girl Green as Elderflower. Alienation is not only 'a central feature of human existence', but also a subject which is frequently explored in literature. This is especially true in Australian writing and in post-colonial literature in general, in which the schism between the Self and the Other features greatly. This work focuses mainly on two types of estrangement: the one arising due to the colonial situation and the other arising due to personal factors. Each of the three main characters who are analysed, namely Heriot, Alistair and Crispin, deals with his feeling of chronic isolation in a unique way. Heriot and Crispin are ultimately reconciled with the world, while Alistair succumbs to his incurable loneliness. Stow is here interpreted as an author who advocates the breaking down of personal boundaries in order to enter into an all- inclusive union with various forms of Other. He also appreciates the importance of a sense of belonging for the individual. It is only in a multi-faceted reality, and in a community based on reciprocity between equals, that alienation can cease to be an inevitable part of life.