Realities of living, A Life of Recluse Online.
Online 20th April 2007
www.alifeofrecluse.com is the only interactive hypertext fiction that collaborates literature with digital images, sound and music, and has been made available online free for all reading enthusiasts.
For those whom are well acquainted, Life can be full of political hypocrisies, and antagonism, whether derived from governmental policies, family expectations or our own personal fear of failure, the personal will always remain political.
Set in Lowestoft; Britain’s forgotten seaside town, A Life of Recluse is a tale of five characters, Flora, Basit, Magda, James and Erin who are each from different national and cultural backgrounds. It seeks to explore how each one of them is allowed to be free, yet not free to be allowed, due to the personal level of oppression that which they endure, and what these characters are prepared to risk and lose in order that they may gain their personal freedom and reinforce their own perceptions of their individual chosen identity, in a hostile world which can isolate the non-conformist:
“- No James, I’m talking about this suicide website I found…yeah that’s right… Death online…Have the time of your life: Die together, separately or closely behind.
-You what? What’s it called?
- A life of recluse dot com. It’s dedicated to some Dutch school boy who killed himself because someone stole his digital identity – high jacked it or something online! Like - it…is so deep. On this site, there are more so many more people out there that actually feel like this- raped, institutionalized, and useless. This boy’s online identity was his own most excellent way to present himself, and how he connected with people.. the world - but if this can be stolen by something outside yourself, then you might aswell jump from this ledge, straight into the sea and drown.
- Would you die with me Erin, for the sake of freedom?
- Maybe not together eh James, but separately and closely behind – Lets just say, I’d be right behind you mate, backing you up all the way.
(And then, they both laugh.) ” (www.alifeofreclsue.com)
