The Life of a 'Madman'

a monologue of a character that society would condemn as mad but in truth is just human.

How to send someone crazy? Easy, you break them, emotionally and physically; when there is nothing left they are no more than a shell in which anything can infest. All one has to do is find their weakness.

Shadow leant back in his satin lined armchair the tall back of which engulfed him despite his height being of 6ft. He chuckled out loud, people are just too easy all so eager to protect their trivialities of material possessions that they leave what they hold dear unguarded, undefended, helpless. He often mused in such a state nursing a brandy; life had always bored him. Numerous therapists of his youth claimed that he was an insecure child with little intelligence and no interest in others; they couldn’t have been further from the truth. In fact he could be classed an intellectual fascinated with fine literature and art, moreover people fascinated him. An isolated life where few were aware of his existence lends itself well to the observation of others and their consequent ... destruction.

Some people were inclined to call him mad which he was happy to play upon; he revelled in making people uncomfortable. Everyone was so eager to be different, to shine above the rest but he was something else, the tall, darkly dressed figure that seemed more suited to dark alleyways of Victorian London than the bustling streets of 21^st century Oxford. He was the ‘different’ that stood out more than the rest and yet remained the person you failed to recognise, for we have a habit of forgetting things we find ... grotesque. He had dispensed with his birth name during his adolescence preferring shadow. Psychiatrists had always jumped on that. Why 'Shadow'? Do you fell empty? Alone? No. How can one feel alone when the whole world was so eager to entertain him with their absurdities? He just liked the name shadow. He often felt like he was everyone’s shadow, always there, silent, watching, thinking and yet remaining unnoticed.

There were those who believed he must have had a challenging upbringing, no parents and little wealth. On the contrary he had everything, well what people classed as ‘everything’; a home, loving parents, friends as well as a dog, Jasper. What more could a boy want? A lot more he learnt or rather, a lot less.

By all accounts he was ordinary, ‘normal’ if such a thing really exists. However unlike other people he had a hobby, one might even say an interest in some specimens of the human race. Those that seemed to fit neatly into the world they were desperately trying to cling on to but where on the verge of falling and losing all, piqued his interest. He just wanted to push them into the chasm.

 He was always impulsive like that.

Author's Note

it needs a bit of work but i'm pleased with it so far.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I was told often. Writers and Poets are mad-men and women. Take a odd vision to take apart and put back together on paper life and story. I was told I was a bit mad. A honor life is testing life, laughing and knowing love. I enjoyed your thoughts and I agree with them. I wanted a Hemingway life once. War, travel and drink. Today old men like me know less madness and find peace in the writing. Thank you for the sharing the outstanding story. You made me think this morning.
Coyote

[Another Mayfly]

I suppose in many ways I'm probably mad but writing is my solace too, it helps sort out all the things in my mind. Thank you for all the kind words you said. The difficulty with madness in my opinion is that it is an intricate part of being human. what person is truly sane?

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right. Need some madness to survive.

[Another Mayfly]

It's what makes life interesting :)

[Delmar Cooper]

"it needs a bit of work but i'm pleased with it so far."

Everything needs work, no question about that. There are a few typos, nothing really significant except sooner or later they need to be addressed. I think the work is in expanding this character/plot outline into the action of a complete story. The work will be taking what you have created and allowing the the character to develope before the reader's eyes. When that happens, "numerous therapists", "some people", "those who believed" will all become flesh and blood particular examples of the general entities you have listed.
And,when that happens,"by all accounts" will become your story, your account of Shadow.

Thanks for sharing this in its present form. I hope I get to see it again.
Cooper

[Fire Mage Andrea]

"oxford" should be Oxford - hands up if you knew that already ;-)

I especially like the bit where the psychiatrists ask "why Shadow? Do you feel empty? Alone?" Only hangup I have with this sentence is the fact you have it as "why shadow? Do you fell empty?"
Apart from these typos you've done really well and it's a good question at the beginning and the answer is quite true as well.