The feelings of isolation and alienation can be frustrating, dangerous and they can

even drive a person crazy. People always deal with these issues differently. Some manage

to deal with these feelings and continue on with their lives while others are unable to

overcome them. In “Brian The Still Hunter” by Susanna Moodie, Brian is overcome by

his feelings of isolation and alienation. Isolation and alienation can occur for many

reasons, not only from feelings of loneliness, fear or helplessness but also from the

alienation of society, the people closest to you and one’s self. Brian feels alone and

alienated for many reasons. Brian is not pleased with his life which creates a feeling of

extreme alienation. Brian is alienated because of his drinking, his self rejection,and his

suicide attempt and not only Brian’s drinking alienates him in many ways as he goes on drinking sprees for

weeks at a time: Arter being on the spree for a week or two, he would take fits of

remorse and return home to his wife (page 342). These drinking sprees alienate him from his wife. When Brian is drinking, he becomes

Confrontational: Brian was an awful passionate man, and when the liquor was in and the

wit was out, as savage and quarrelsome as a bear (page 341).

No one wants to be a round him because he always wants to fight and even when he

win the fight he is still miserable. Brian alienates himself by drinking, for years he would go off on drinking binges

and not go home for days or sometimes weeks on end. He did not see his family and

friends during this time. Brian would go into the woods and drink by himself, this got to

be to much for him. Brian is not happy with his life. He asks Layton to come down to the

water with him where he runs off from Layton. Thankfully, Layton follows him to see

what he is doing: And by the Lord Harry, if I did not find him, upon my landing on the

opposite shore, lying wallowing in his blood with his throat cut (page 343).

He can not handle his life anymore. He does not like waking up having these feelings of

isolation and alienation and he attempts to commit suicide. Even after he is saved

from his initial suicide attempt, he keeps trying to kill himself. Layton gets him back into

the boat and is trying to get him home to get medical attention: made several attempts

to throw himself in the water (page 343). Brian alienates himself from Layton by doing

this as Layton gets upset with him and threatens to kill Brian if he does not lay still:

You’ve done mischief enough already by cutting your weasand! If