Outcast: A Short Story

by Andrea McKenzie Raine

Imagine being struck with the inability to communicate. How would you adapt to a world in which you could no longer participate? Frances finds herself in a state of social exile, and discovers the limitation and freedom of her new reality.

15 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2015

About the author

Andrea McKenzie Raine was born in Smithers, BC and grew up in Victoria, BC where she still resides. She was enrolled in the Creative Writing program and earned a B.A. in English Literature at the University of Victoria in 2000, and completed a post-degree Public Relations certificate program. She has attended the successful Planet Earth Poetry reading series (formerly known as Mocambopo) in Victoria, BC since 1997, and participated in the Glenairley writing retreats led by Canadian poet and novelist Patrick Lane in Sooke, BC. In 2005, she published her first book of poetry, titled A Mother’s String, through Ekstasis Editions. Her poetry has also appeared in Mocambo Nights, Canadian Literature journal, Quills, Borderlines anthology (Ascent Aspirations magazine), Tempus anthology (Rubicon Press), Poems from Planet Earth (Leaf Press), Tongues of Fire anthology, and several Glenairley chapbooks edited by Patrick Lane (Leaf Press). She has also written book reviews and articles for local magazines, celebrating the work of her peers. She lives with her husband and two young sons and, by day, is employed as a correspondence writer for the provincial government. Turnstiles is her debut novel published by Inkwater Press. She also published her second novel, A Crowded Heart, through Inkwater Press, which is a prequel to Turnstiles. Her most recent novel is the third book in the Turnstiles series, a sequel titled Beyond the Summer Grass.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fancied reading a short story, so I trawled through my GR recommendations and came across this one. It was only 99p in the Kindle store, so I bought it and tucked in.

This is a tale of social isolation and how the people and things that are closest to us in life can make us feel most alone. It's a sad story but also contains moments of humour and conflict. I really enjoyed it.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War & Peace of Andrea McKenzie Raine's short stories; this is one is about 15 pages long.
Outcast is about a woman's middle aged crisis. Her married life had been successful with her place cemented as the head of the home, nurturing and directing her children while being influential in the development of her relationship with her husband who was equally under her influence.
How things have changed, and the catylist to revealing this inbalance and new reality are changes at work that come to ahead when her younger boss reveals she is more than a square peg in a round hole. She is a missing jigsaw piece that doesn't even fit the puzzle. Feeling humiliated and given another chance to correct her errors she focuses on going home. This situation now seems clearer too, she has lost her husband to an affair she is certain he's having; he'll be home again late. They don't share intimacy and fun based communication. Meanwhile her children have lost their way, poor behaviour and attendence at school is damaging their grades and confidence into employment.
Where has she gone wrong? Getting home her kids seemingly ignore her and becoming overwhelmed she collapses in the kitchen.
Waking up in hospital she cannot understand anyone; the spoken and written word appears as gibberish and her own words misunderstood; her isolation is complete.
She learns to read non verbal communication, gestures and someone's eyes. She is discharged to her home where she feels a total stranger and can only find peace in photos and happier times.
Outcast is the story of someone who reaches a breaking point and is a parable of our world of mass communication where no-one really talks to one another and whole swathes of society are ignored. Seen through Frances' melt down where she regresses completely. However, in her time of total isolation she perhaps has enough of her will to find her self and redeem others through her experiences.
Clever ideas seemlessly interwoven into a normal family but compressed into just a few pages to ensure the message isn't lost or over complicated.
A story about a disfunctional family which is likely to make each reader feel more self-aware.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcast is a story that went back and forth for me. Raine does a great job with her descriptions and hitting me in the heart. The plot took an interesting turn part way through allowing for a fascinating look at what is really important in life. I struggled a little bit with the very angry main character, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying Raine’s exploration of communication, society, and just life in general.

[Erma Talamante · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, though I thought it ended a bit abruptly (hence the 4-star rating). It is a quick read, but one that will stay with you a little after reading. And with my own background in Psychology, I was able to recall symptoms of aphasia and mental breakdown, and enjoyed the realistic representation of a sufferer of both.

Frances is a dedicated mother, loving wife, and hard worker. Stuck in a life that has ceased to value her, or worry itself with her needs, she is left simply going through the motions. When she winds up hospitalized, her family gathers, frightened, but unable to care for her the way she has been caring for them.

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[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story about evaluating life when it feels like it's falling apart, and that feeling of isolation when communication breaks down. Thought provoking story. I enjoyed this, although I felt it ended rather suddenly.

[Beth Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcast tells the story of a woman who falls over the edge into a mental breakdown. The imagery brought this story home for me. It's short and to the point, and you can feel the emotions swirling through the pages. I enjoyed reading it, and the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because I wanted a bit more closure to the story. It ended a little abruptly for me, but overall the story is fantastic.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story of a woman's social isolation and of all of our own isolation from the world. How we can be together but not see each other or hear each other. It was a very well written story.

[Linda Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances has a tense meeting with her boss, who unfairly criticizes her work and makes her feel “deflated and frustrated.” She’d been given a new assignment, and she’d worked hard on it, while others sat at their desks, doing nothing. But apparently she hadn't done enough to please her boss. Her job feels like a trap. “They were all kept in little open cages, she thought. Little open cages adorned with homey touches; small, calming knick-knacks and photos-portals to the outside world, reminders of the reasons they were wrapping themselves in these cubicles.”

Suddenly, Frances realizes her world isn’t okay. She suspects her husband is cheating, her teenage daughter is suspended for fighting in school, and not only are her son’s grades slipping, a gun is found in his school locker. She feels she’s a complete failure at home and at her job - isolated in her “cubicle of life.”

I love the story, touching and beautifully written, about a woman on the edge, facing many problems and feeling alone in her struggles. The “outcast” theme is well-described and developed. The story has depth, is multi-layered, and goes to the heart of someone who is functioning in a crowded and clamorous world, but feels out of touch and wants to be understood. At one point, she is even unable to communicate. Frances is an empathetic character, and you will be drawn into her world, as the author deftly takes you to a meaningful and surprising conclusion.

[A.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of Outcast from my blog
I purchases it so here is my honest review. On Amazon, I gave it four stars. I liked the story, just wish it had been longer. A pretty well written book about a woman (Francis) on the verge of a mental collapse due to perceived problems at home. She believes her husband is cheating on her and her two teenage children give her nothing but grief.
The tipping point of her mental state occurred when the boss called her into his office for a meeting. He was none too happy with her work and progress. She always felt she was a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. After that meeting her mind crossed the border into insanity. At first she could no longer understand what people were saying. Her mind could no longer process their words. Even her husband and children seem to speak in a foreign tongue. As her mental state grows worse, she is put in the hospital, where she no longer could understand what the doctors had to say.She gets worse even after being released from the hospital, they couldn't find a medical condition that might be causing her breakdown. She regresses to the point where she feels she understands baby talk and desires to go back to the womb.
I recommended this to anyone that likes short quick stories. I will not tell you how it ends. Read the story and find out yourself

[Amelyn Randall]

DNF at 28%

I just wasn't in the right headspace for this short story at this time.