Paige Riley
English II Honors
Viola
11/28/14

As Jack stood in front of the edifice and observed the large throngs surrounding him, he felt for the first time in his life like an outsider For the first time in his life he felt like he didn’t belong in this life of political strife and nine to five jobs. He grew up in a family where this was normal. His parents seem happy with this ‘normal’ lifestyle, so why wouldn't he? However, for the first time in his life, Jack felt empty. He felt lonely in a city full of people. Something changed in him this day, something that this young man could never put into words.
The following few months after that strange day, the feeling of emptiness and a longing for change became a spectre. It was as if there was an imp following him around all day, telling him he needs to escape civilization. As he walked by the plebeians of the city, he pondered the idea that maybe they’re better off without money, nothing is ever expected of them.
Of course begging for money on the side of the street is no way to live, but Jack began to almost envy the fact that nothing was expected from these people. A smirk grew across his face as he thought about how ironic this whole situation is. A man living the ‘American Dream’ is jealous of someone who isn’t. Jack feels his life has become very meager. He came home from work, and sat staring out of his bedroom apartment window, wishing he was able to evanesce, or just dissolve into his bed sheets and become nothing.
In today’s modern age, everyone is put into categories and given appellations. No individual can just be, they have to fall under stereotypes of ‘popular’, ‘loser’, ‘goth’, and other positive or negative names. People are in constant battle to be better than everyone else, to do something extraordinary.Individual’s are also bombarded with social expectations, which are very mutabil. People who act in a way of impropriety or go against the mainstream of society are seen as outsiders, and are viewed in a negative way. Although Jack understood this, he just now started to realize how corrupt society is. He would carefully observe his surroundings on his way to and from work each day. Human iniquity present on every street corner, every alley way.
Although there are congenial individuals, there are also malefactresses who threaten the good in the world. Jack turns his head down an alleyway and sees a young boy, not much older than him, ignominiously exchanging a bag of white powder with an older man. He recognized this boy,
Jack’s friends discussed him all the time, the one who always buys coke in the alleyway Jack was looking down. He is well known around the area