“Solitary Confinement” by Vivi Eggleston is a masterful piece discussing the insecurities of the narrator. Written in the first person, it creates a relatable character that believes she is always being forgotten. It uses a short memoir to establish the complex character and her feelings. She has been left behind during her own birthday celebration, and is chasing after her friends. With each step, she remembers another time in which she has been forgotten. Once she finally catches up to them in real time, she realizes that she has not been forgotten this time, and becomes a more confident person.
This piece is so impressive because of the empathy you feel to the character even in just a short moment. Ms. Eggleston catches herself at the climax of her story, and as a dynamic character, in the moment when she changes. Although the piece is short and only captures a glimpse of her life, the reader becomes connected to her. A particular line stood out to me, “Chasing my friends down a country road and coming around the bend to discover they were gone… As long as I concentrated on the dust, I wouldn’t cry.” This line creates a moment of sympathy with the author, and pulls a string on the reader’s own experiences. Vivi Eggleston’s powerful voice demands the reader’s attention.