The passages provided illustrate the theme of loneliness and isolation in different contexts, including holidays and everyday life. They offer a starting point for literary analysis in English literature, focusing on the contrast between social settings and personal feelings, as well as character's emotions and behaviors in response to their situations.
The passages provided depict a recurring theme of loneliness, a feeling of being left behind or separated from others, which is often explored in literature. These texts showcase different contexts such as holiday gatherings where one may still feel isolated despite the company (“Well, the Fourth of July is over! The people are gone and I am tired out.”), or being alone in a place that used to be shared with another (“I pass by our bedroom with its giant bed still intact and walk into your room.”).
In addition, we see instances of characters realizing or contemplating the reasons behind others' behavior or emotions, as seen with Andy's homesickness at summer camp. Characters in these passages are managing their solitude, sometimes in the face of festivities or obligations that would typically call for gathering and celebration. The different scenarios offer rich ground for discussions about social expectations, personal emotions, and character development in English literature.
Literary analysis of these excerpts could include a discussion on the contrast between social engagement and personal isolation, the portrayal of mental states and the atmosphere within texts, such as the emptiness felt in a home or the contrast of celebration against the backdrop of a servant's solitude (“There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time.”).