What makes a social outcast?

Question

I am trying to develop a character i am portraying in an upcoming production of a drama production which will be assessed.
My character's name is David who works in a dead-end job, who is essentially a social outcast/reject, whatever you wish to call it. He takes comfort in sleeping with a worker-girl.
To amplify my portrayal i am trying to get to grips with what it feels like to be a social outcast and what being a social outcast can do to you. I would be very grateful if you could provide any useful information or guidance which could aid me.
What feelings are felt?
What makes someone feel like a social reject?
etc
Thankyou very much for your time
Ozzyoli

Answer 1

I my self suffer from auditory and visual dyslexia, this also involves some memory issues. The visual side means that I am not well read, I have never even picked up a news paper, so in a social situation would come across as ignorant, have trouble converting thoughts in to words especially on complex issues.
Although my hearing is fine it takes a lot of concentration for me to mentally translate sounds (if you can imagine that a word is a simple times table, the faster they are coming at you the harder they get, while you are concentrating on one you miss part of the next and so on ).

Each dyslexic is totally different, so you can not even find a common group of people to have a whinge with. Some people are happy with their own company, but personally I would like to enjoy a social life, I think the look you after would be a combination of confusion and isolation and fear.

Answer 2

I've never been one, but this is what I think:

Social outcasts are normally a product of a deficient upbringing or have repressed and unresolved psychological issues from some type of personal trauma.

A social outcast is usually a single child. They might have been brought up under difficult conditions, such an alcoholic or drug addicted parents. Therefore, they were denied the close contact & love that normally promotes a sense of security and value.

This lack of love normally leads to a personality that has trouble connecting with people or opening up to people. This then causes some type of bullying, which enhances the mistrust of others and so the cycle begins, causing even greater social issues.

These people could use working girls, as they're unlikely to form a normal relationship.

It's also possible that the social outcast lost their parents or sibling at some point in their childhood. If they don't have personal help recovering from this sense of loss, they normally put up a barrier and refrain from letting anyone get close to them to protect themselves from anyone else suddenly being taken away by death or anything else.

Social outcasts have problems understanding the topics that make most people laugh and cry and they've got an underdeveloped personality.

It's possible that a person that had their mother leave them as a child goes on to be misogynistic and feel a mistrust of women. In severe cases; this could lead to hatred towards women or even a desire to abuse women in some type of revenge for inner hurt caused by their mother.

Lastly, the person might have been abused sexually and feels shame and inner conflict because they've carried the abuse as a secret all their life.

Try and get into the head of someone that's never formed self esteem or feelings of being loved, because they had an unloving childhood. The person would have a lack of trust for all people and develop strange habits, like treating a pet as if they were human, talking to themselves, having terrible dress sense, etc.

It's a very interesting question and topic to look into.

Good luck with it......

Answer 3

I'm a social outcast I have dylesixa too I'm 16

Answer 4

What makes someone feel like a social reject?
The hard demand of imperfections from people around him... and he feels that he cannot fulfill their own picture perfect of utopia at all. From that point on he might have an eerie feeling of a social outcast.

Answer 5

I think it's a strong possibility. I just got DVR Monday with HBO & Showtime. Curb Your Enthusiasm is gonna make me a social pariah. I LOVE that show and Larry David rules!

Answer 6

Some people choose to reject social norms of that culture they are in - leading to being outside the norms of that culture. You could portray this in many ways - not just the standard miserable angry misfit. As really you can choose this role in life!

Answer 7

Someone feels like a social reject when they don't fit in with they peers not having the same interests as them. Often feeling left out of conversations or not feeling like they are being heard.
having low self esteem feeling like if i can't love myself no one else can so rejecting anyone who tries to be friendly with them.

Answer 8

I would study what happens to Jade Goody. She is a social pariah now.
But seriously, that character will be full of misery, will see no way out of his predicament and will find everyone craps on him. His thoughts will be masochistic in tone and he will not like himself. He will probably drink and his friends will be the same if not worse. They will do him down as they will be full of hate and pain themselves. I hope this helps.

Answer 9

You are defenitly a social outcast if you are, let's call it, deleted from the system. Ask people who have been declared as dead, though they are still alive. It's a hard, hard fight to get back into the computer. Of course, as allways, money makes it easier.
This process contains any emotion: From desperately depressed to the magic discovery of your own strength while you're getting back on you feet again.

Answer 10

One way would be if he had done something terrible that he was very ashamed of. Then he would have constant feelings of guilt, along with the fear of others finding out.