Hello Everyone! In this blog post I will be researching ways to add symbolism to my story!
So the main theme I want to go with is outer space and stars. The story takes place in a physics classroom so the theme of the cosmos works both on a literal level (gravity and all that), and a metaphorical level, because there’s nothing that makes one feel more insignificant than realizing we’re all just specks in the vast universe.
In my story, the protagonist romanticizes the relationship of their peers a lot. They compare peer relationships to stars – “A constellation, each star bright on its own yet always together.” However, what the protagonist doesn’t realize is that even stars in the same constellation can be hundreds of thousands of light years apart.(1) In their loneliness, the protagonist might not see any subtle tension in relationships,(2) which means that we must question their reliability as a narrator.(3)
However, there is evidence that the protagonist is not entirely incorrect in their assumptions. No matter which way you look at it, at the end of the day, the protagonist IS sitting alone at a four person table while not far from them, six people crowd around a table at the same time. No one can deny that this is an obvious act of exclusion. Therefore, the protagonist is reasonable, if not reliable.(3)
Then the teacher implements daily random seating, a method that is generally shown to improve peer interaction.(4) The first time this happens, the protagonist notices their classmates are very uncomfortable, as they have been thrust out of their comfort zone, at which they feel a sense of schadenfreude(5) – finally, maybe their classmates feel they same way they’ve felt. Even if it doesn’t actually make them any friends, at least it feels like there IS some form of justice out there.(5) The protagonist is aware this won’t fix their loneliness, and they also have a minor moral crisis over whether it’s right to feel this way – whether it’s okay to feel happy because others are sad.(6)
And the saddest part is, the protagonist will never know how many other people experienced the same thing.(7) Where they’re not explicitly bullied, but never befriended either. Always an option, never the choice. Because loneliness is a paradox. All the people you pass by in a day, you never really know how lonely they are.(7)
So, to everyone who’s reading this… if you’ve ever felt lonely, you aren’t alone with that. I’ve been lonely too. It’s not a failure if you don’t have any friends. Loneliness isn’t a flaw. It just is.
1. Brown, C. (2025). How far apart are the constellations? – science – 2025. Warbletoncouncil. https://warbletoncouncil.org/distancia-constelaciones-13867
2.Lonely Together: The Mental Health Toll of Disconnection in Relationships. (2025). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/secure-connections/202505/lonely-together-the-mental-health-toll-of-disconnection-in?msockid=19b3196cfb906fb227fc0c5ffa606e76
3. Glatch, S. (2024, June 10). What is an Unreliable Narrator? Or: How to Lie to Your Readers. Writers.com. https://writers.com/unreliable-narrator
4. The Impact of Classroom Seating Arrangements on Student Behavior and Learning Outcomes | Mega Seating Plan Blog. (2025). Seatingplan.com. https://blog.seatingplan.com/1864/the_impact_of_classroom_seating_arrangements_on_student_behavior_and_learning_outcomes
5. Colino, S. (2017). The Roots of Schadenfreude: Why We Take Pleasure in Other People’s Pain. US News & World Report; U.S. News & World Report. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/articles/2017-03-01/the-roots-of-schadenfreude-why-we-take-pleasure-in-other-peoples-pain
6. Schadenfreude: How to Respond When Bad Things Happen to People You Don’t Like. (n.d.). Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/schadenfreude-how-to-respond-when-bad-things-happen-to-people-you-dont-like-5083348
7. MSN. (2025). Msn.com. https://www.msn.com/en-us/society-culture-and-history/social-issues/the-loneliness-paradox-how-media-narratives-shape-our-solitude/ar-AA1zQK2f