Isobel's wildly vivid imagination serves as a powerful survival tool during a traumatic childhood and subsequent tumultuous transition to adulthood, providing escapism from an agonizing and often humiliating reality and comfort from which no one or anything else can receive. His love and addiction to fantasy manifests itself in many forms: his insatiable appetite for reading, the characters and imaginary worlds he invents, and the daily wanderings of his mind, coloring a reality rendered only in shades of gray and empowering Isobel, giving her the ability to persevere through labor. However, while escape into its many imaginary worlds is powerful as a temporary distraction from the painful realities of life, it is not a method capable of sustaining a fulfilling long-term existence. Running away from problems doesn't solve them; the distraction may only be transitory, and her uncontrollable imagination gradually becomes a threat, irritating Isobel rather than assisting her as before. In the end, Isobel is truly unable to survive in the world, to emerge in life rather than drift away, and to live with the security of being herself until she faces the past and conquers the demons of memory instead of suppressing them, reaching the acceptance of herself that allows her to be strong and free. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The real world for Isobel is a dark and turbulent place filled with a heavy fog of emotional turmoil, insecurity, loneliness, and an acute sense of being inadequate or inherently incomplete. Struggling amid chaotic “currents and undertows… mysterious evil passions, anger and envy… (and) above all an invincible sadness,” Isobel often feels helpless, struggling in the extraordinarily chaotic dynamics of the world, succumbing to “inertia.” rather than advancing in its direction. She is convinced of her shortcomings, acutely aware that she was “born bad” and that she “accepts herself as a born hopeless liar,” often feeling weighed down by the resigned idea that she is ultimately incapable of controlling her behavior, but merely serving as a puppet for the "idiot in the attic", the "mischievous little bastard" who "plays with the real world... behind Isobel's back". This sense of being a despicable, inherently flawed person causes intense insecurity, causing Isobel to incessantly panic that she is "hurting people without realizing it", always pausing to ask herself, "could she have offended him?" Likewise, her shyness and apprehension lead her to assume that others constantly think poorly of her, and she anxiously questions everything she does, feeling ashamed: “was that the wrong way to read then?” She feels defeated, as if there is no way to guarantee her safety and protection. Even as a child she recognizes that "you couldn't make yourself safe" and this idea remains ingrained within her into early adulthood, as she reflects: "no sooner had you built your little raft and felt safe than it fell apart under you ." This innate perpetual sense of being unsafe and a failure isolates Isobel from those around her: "you build a wall around yourself and too late you find yourself walled in", creating an impenetrable distance between her and her peers, evident as he sees Trevor “on the other side of the river”, unable to break down the barrier of his own insecurity. Ultimately, she feels incomplete, filled with "anguish, longing and a sense of exile" – a painful and exhausting existence that would surely destroy her spirit completely if she were not freed from such agonies.However, Isobel is able to escape the excruciating pressures of everyday life through reading. As a child, she uses her books as a shield from her mother's cruelty, soon discovering that "the birthdays, the injustices, the parents are all gone...(they) didn't matter" as if life had these lovely free surprises for everyone", and finding profound relief from the numbness of her surroundings. Isobel's love of reading remains with her into adulthood, offering her comfort and a sense of being “really at home” with her books , preferring the company of these fictional characters to the callous, unattainable people around her, her ability to become completely consumed in a book, feeling that "it's not like reading... it's like living it" and "whenever she wasn't reading, whatever happened in the outside world… (being) aware of being in exile from (history),” testifies to the intensity of his imagination and his ability to live his stories, forgetting (temporarily) the harshness of reality. Beyond reading, Isobel extends the idea of ​​fantasy and storytelling in the creation of her fictional characters, finding comfort and excitement in her exciting new worlds, and guidance in the more spiritual mentor-type figures she fabricates in her mind. Isobel's childhood fantasies about Gerald, Antonia, and the traveling theater provide an exciting world of drama and romance that satisfies Isobel's need for excitement, intensity, and freedom, a feeling that is clearly missing from her life. Filled with cozy and comforting images of family closeness and togetherness, "the campfire at night... Antonia in trousers and sweater singing old folk songs... Gerald reaching out to bring Robert closer to him, Robert reaching out snuggles,” these fictional stories convey Isobel feels a sense of love, comfort and tenderness, the antithesis of the cold family dynamics offered by the real world. As a young adult, these ideas similarly culminate in the creation of Joseph, “the beloved and respected authority,” a guiding father figure to whom Isobel reflects and prays at night, finding comfort and support in this imaginary mentor she cannot find elsewhere. .Isobel's imagination finds itself spiraling into her daily thoughts, wandering into everyday events as an escape from all discomfort and embarrassment. At work she says to herself: “I'm not here. I am in Czechoslovakia” to transcend the humiliation of being denigrated and scolded by Mr. Richard, and she spends her sad mornings thinking long and hard and creating a detailed image of Mr. Vorocic, a glass manufacturer whose German letter Isobel is supposed to translate. This concern with the romance and poetry of life and her ability to invent rich stories from a bland business document distract her from the mundanity of her work, allowing the writer to be stimulated in a lackluster and unsatisfying environment. Her vivid imagination also provides her with comic relief from misery or fear, allowing her to revel in a "horror dream", such as waking up at Michael's house and pretending to be in the train compartment and having an exciting adventure instead of being naked . and vulnerable in an unknown man's bathroom. As Isobel reflects, "there was a mind for you, darting on its adventures, giving the owner a scare of a lifetime" – her imagination is almost out of her control, surprising her with its intensity. Essentially, Isobel's ability to coexist in the real world and its many imaginary worlds allows her vital liberation from the suffering that constantly threatens to overwhelm her, allowing her a temporary distraction from the shadows that might otherwise consume her completely. However,.