INVISIBILITY and the Hermit Life

A motif running through the play Invisibility is the idea of hermit-hood.

Excerpt from Invisibility (page 16):

A:            The Wei Jin Dynasties. Many people didn’t like the society they were living in, and they didn’t want to be part of it, but they didn’t know what they could do about it, and so, one by one, they left for the hills and mountains to lead a hermit’s life.

Excerpt from Invisibility (page 60):

A:           Remember the Hermit Master I was talking about? The one who learnt how to be invisible? Initially he was working as an official in the royal courts. But later he became unhappy with the politics and didn’t want to be part of it, didn’t want to be like the rest. So he left and went to the mountains. Naturally, the courts sent someone to invite him back, but he eluded them by becoming invisible. Once, he was spotted in the streets. But before they could catch hold of him, suddenly everyone in the streets turned into his likeness. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t this Hermit Master cool?

Being a hermit entails living your life in seclusion, away from other people. Hermits choose to live alone for various reasons. There are “push” factors which drive people out of civilisation into a life of solitude, such as war and poverty. There are also “pull” factors which attract people to a hermit’s life, such as being free from rule and living sustainably.

Here are 10 stories of real-life hermits who have shunned civilisation and willingly lived in seclusion for years. View.

While hermits do actually live alone, the play also tackles feelings of loneliness in the midst of other people, being a veritable hermit in a crowded city.

Excerpt from Invisibility (page 28):

C:            Don’t be mistaken. A doesn’t stay alone, but with his family. There’s usually people in his house, including weekends. But he still feels lonely, as if he was all by himself. There’s this song by Jonathan Lee “Unbearable Loneliness.” The lyrics go like this: (sings) often, out of the blue, sadness strikes, though everyone is around, and the jokes are great.

Being a city hermit is also known as experiencing “urban loneliness”. Some social science researchers argue that the phenomena of urban loneliness is reaching crisis proportions, while others decry it as a myth. There is, however, agreement on a link between urban living and mental health disorders. And tech pundits are convinced that smartphone technology will help alleviate the plight of urban loneliness. In Singapore, there are concerns with loneliness affecting the mental health of elderly Singaporeans, even those living with their families.

Urban loneliness has been a subject of many artists wanting to shed light on this social phenomena. Local examples include 4:30 (2005) by filmmaker Royston Tan and an exhibition by local photographer Nguan entitled “How Loneliness Goes” which featured a series of images exploring isolation in a dense, urban setting.

Here’s the song “Unbearable Loneliness” by Jonathan Lee. Enjoy.

Published: 19 May 2015