Final answer:
The theme of being an outsider in 'Mowgli's Brothers' and 'All Summer in a Day' deals with characters who are different from their respective societies. Mowgli's tale involves an ongoing identity struggle, while Margot experiences acute isolation during a specific event. Both stories explore the empathy one feels towards those who are misunderstood, although they end differently for each character.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing Themes of Outsiders in Literature
The concept of being on the 'outside looking in' is a prevalent theme explored in both 'Mowgli's Brothers' from The Jungle Book and 'All Summer in a Day'. In 'Mowgli's Brothers', Mowgli is literally on the outside as he is a human boy being raised by wolves in the jungle; he never fully belongs to either the human world or the animal kingdom. In 'All Summer in a Day', Margot is an outsider because she comes from Earth to Venus and remembers the sun, unlike the other children who don't believe her since they have never seen it themselves.
Both narratives illustrate the challenges faced by characters who do not conform to their surroundings. Mowgli's struggle is ongoing and is tied to his identity and place in society, while Margot faces a specific event related to the sun that heightens her sense of alienation. Despite these differences, both characters invoke the reader's empathy for those who are different and often misunderstood.
In 'Mowgli's Brothers', Mowgli's uniqueness is recognized and eventually accepted, as he learns to use his human intelligence and skills to his advantage. Contrastingly, in 'All Summer in a Day', Margot’s difference leads to her being bullied and isolated, and her moment of hope is cruelly snatched away by her classmates. These contrasting outcomes reflect different aspects of the human experience when dealing with being an outsider.