Sense of Alienation in Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day

Abstract

The present research explores the alienation of the characters, especially Tommy Wilhelm, in Saul Bellow's Seize the Day. Tommy Wilhelm becomes alienated because capitalist society limits him to the particular definition of subject; the materialist ideology prevalent in the society does not provide him any way to exist. He has ideological and familial domination, which is the domination of capitalist society. Loss of his job, financial instability, father's hatred, broken family relation, his failure to develop career and so on are causes of his victimization. Wilhelm has depressed personality. He takes help of smoking, Coca-Cola drinking and pill swallowing to escape from this depression. To get over this situation he does many efforts but in vain. Ultimately, he reaches to chapel facing stranger's dead body. He weeps and even tries to control himself but all efforts are proved useless. He is destined to live in the American capitalist society with ideological domination which causes the sense of alienation.