In Solitary Confinement Is Overused In Our Prisons, By Barack Obama

In the article, “Solitary confinement is Overused in Our Prisons,” by Barack Obama, the point of view towards isolation is that solitary confinement negatively affects people's mental health and relationships with families and friends. The effects of isolation are conveyed by president Obama talking about the effects of solitary confinement. In the poem “ Sympathy,” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the point of view towards isolation is that any person in isolation will be deranged from not being able to be free and the effects of isolation are conveyed by the author comparing his own experience to a caged bird. In this extended response I will discuss the point of view towards isolation in both the text and poem as well as state how those views

This is conveyed by president Barack Obama talking about solitary confinement in his article. According to the text it states, “ It has been linked to depression, alienation, withdrawal, a reduced ability to interact with people and the potential for violent behavior. Some studies indicate that it can make mental illnesses worse and even cause new ones. Prisoners in solitary are more likely to commit suicide, especially young people and people with mental illnesses.” (P5) This shows that people held in solitary confinement are more likely to develop a worse mindset after solitary confinement than when they came into solitary confinement. It also shows that solitary confinement makes a major impact on the lives of human beings, it could kill people. Another detail from the text states, “ Those who do make it out

According to the poem it states, “ I know why the caged bird beats his wing, Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling.” (Lines 8,9,10) This shows that the bird doesn’t want to go back to the cage because he knows that he can't escape and be free so he hurts himself, in a sense human isolation gets deranged and angry then they tend to hurt themselves because they have no way to escape isolation. Situations like this are similar to situations that happen to people that are portrayed in “ Solitary confinement is overused in our prisons” . Another detail from the poem states, “ But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings— I know why the caged bird sings!” (Lines 19, 20, 21) This shows that the bird is praying to be free and to not be lonely so he sings to beg for freedom, this is also similar to humans because after being in isolation for a long time people would want to beg to be free. This is similar to people in solitary confinement. To sum up everything that has been said, the point of view towards isolation is that any person in isolation will be deranged from not being able to be free and the effects of