Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment

Name: Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment
Author: Edward Bellamy

In Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment, Edward Bellamy examines the effects of solitary confinement on the human psyche. Through the story of a man named John, Bellamy explores the psychological and physical effects of two days of solitary confinement. John is a young man who is arrested for a minor offense and sentenced to two days of solitary confinement. He is placed in a small, windowless cell with no contact with the outside world. As the days pass, John's mental and physical health deteriorate. He experiences extreme loneliness, depression, and anxiety. He also begins to hallucinate and have vivid dreams. At the end of the two days, John is released from his cell and finds that his experience has changed him. He is now more aware of the psychological effects of solitary confinement and is determined to fight for the rights of prisoners. He also realizes that he must take responsibility for his own actions and make better choices in the future.

By Edward Bellamy · First published 1898 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Drama · 7,086 words

First lines

Mr. Joseph Kilgore was suffering from one of those spring influenzas which make a man feel as if he were his own grandfather. His nose had acquired the shape of a turnip and the complexion of a beet. All his bones ached as if he had been soundly thrashed, and his eyes were weak and watery. Your deadly disease is oftener than not a gentleman who takes your life without mauling you, but the minor diseases are mere bruisers who just go in for making one as uncomfortable and unpresentable as possible. Mr. Kilgore's influenza had been coming on for several days, and when he woke up this particular morning and heard the rain dripping on the piazza-roof just under his bedroom-window, he concluded, like a sensible man, that he would stay at home and nurse himself over the fire that day, instead of going to the office. So he turned over and snoozed for an hour or two, luxuriating in a sense of aches and pains just pronounced enough to make the warmth and softness of the bed delightful.

What this Textopian page supports

Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edward Bellamy, dated 1898 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Edward Bellamy
Date: 1898 CE
Language: English
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 7,086 words
Structure: 1 section, 85 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Realistic Fiction — The book is based on a true story and is set in a realistic setting.
Historical Fiction — The book is set in the late 19th century and is based on a true story.
Drama — The book follows the protagonist's journey through a difficult situation and explores the emotional and psychological effects of his experience.
Mystery — The book follows the protagonist's journey to uncover the truth behind his imprisonment and the events leading up to it.