‘The Hunchback in the park,’ was a poem written by Thomas based on reality. When he was a boy, he used to go to the park, and always would see this lonely old man, whom he then wrote this poem about. The poet has looked at the theme of isolation in a intriguing way, solely looking at one specific persons isolated from the community, looking at the way he lived, and was ‘mocked’ by strangers. In the first couple of lines of the poem described as a ‘solitary mister,’ we can already imagine that the man is isolated from the community and therefore spends many of his days with his own company, banished to the park. Thomas has focused on this mans isolation from the community he lies in, and the normality of work and housing. Sitting there ‘eating out of a newspaper,’ the reader can feel how the Hunchback has in a way become part of the park, and Thomas has decided to take a unique look at him.
‘Propped between trees and water,’ gives the reader the impression of loneliness and the hunchback decollates to everyone, a feature who is mocked and spurred for being different. Thomas shows how the ‘hunchback is a mockery’ to everyone, a sad man who everyone is scared to talk to, however not to scared to tease, ‘Running when he had heard them clearly.’ When in the third stanza, we can see how he does not interact with people or society; he in fact runs away or turns his back in them. We, the reader depict an image of someone who no longer is a normal person, but someone who differs, and is known locally as a feature to the park where is presence is always there. ‘Dodging the park keeper,’ showing how the man does not want to talk or be disturbed or moved by the park keeper, he is at home in the park, despite the mockery, and does not want to be pushed out onto the streets, as he knows he will not be welcome.
We get the impression that the hunchback would prefer to have someone who could help and care for him, however for the ‘roar on the rockery stones’ and ‘boys jumping among willows,’ to retreat. It may be that the hunchback has a daughter, who simply cares nothing for her father. Or that perhaps he wishes he had one to look after him, ‘a woman figure without fault,’ someone just perfect who could stay a keep him company after the ‘locks and chains.’ In the final stanza we see a description of how the park closes, and the hunchback goes away for the night. How all his torments and surroundings had ‘followed the Hunchback to his kennel in the dark,’ meaning they had all gone for the day, and the man is left alone and isolated in the dark, lonely park.
Throughout the poem the reader has extracts which help convey the loneliness and isolation felt by the hunchback I the park. Thomas has conveyed this mans isolation from the normality of a community very well. He has shown and described how the man is like a feature to the park, who is mocked and marred daily by those who expect to see him. Someone who can no longer interact with others, rather than when it is him being scorned. Thomas excels in making the reader pity the hunchback, and showing the true extent of his unhappiness and differences, using a variety of splendid phrases to create the surreal and sad atmosphere surrounding this very isolated man.
