A common theme in many literary works set in the Depression era is alienation. In these works of fiction, the characters are often isolated, leading them to be alienated by society as well as their families. In short stories such as “To Set Our House in Order” by Margret Laurence and “The Lamp at Noon” by Sinclair Ross, we see characters confronting these conditions. Accordingly, the authors approach the theme of alienation in a similar way, while developing it according to their own methods. In “To Set Our House in Order” by Margaret Laurence, he conveys the message that alienation is self-inflicted on the character “Grandmother.” MacLeod” following a tragic event. In this case, alienation is used as a coping mechanism for the grandmother who lost her son Roderick during the Battle of the Somme. In the story she tells Vanessa: “When your uncle Roderick was killed, I thought I was going to die. But I’m not dead” (Laurence 94 years old). This shows how she now avoids affection and emotion for fear of becoming vulnerable. As a result, the grandmother is in a state of emotional withdrawal which is manifested when it is written: "For she did not believe in the existence of fear, or if she did, she never let it hear” (93). In doing so, she decides it is best to try not to feel any emotions that support the fact that her alienation is self-inflicted. Similarly, Sinclair Ross depicts the theme of alienation through the character named Ellen, in the story “The Midday Lamp”. We learn that the alienation in this story is also self-inflicted, but to a different extent. A major difference is that, in this case, she has become distanced from society due to her geographic isolation. We learn that Ellen was once from a wealthy family and it seems that the move from city to rural life...... middle of paper ...... atmosphere in the story, it creates a feeling of unease and fear. of the isolated environment that inevitably affects the protagonists of the story. The use of descriptive words describing the farmland allows the author to create a feeling of hopelessness and sadness. An example where this can be found is: "There was a deep hollow within, a vast darkness swallowed up beneath the tides of a moaning wind" (233). By using such diction, Ross is effectively able to further reinforce Ellen's isolation and alienation from society. In the stories “To Put Our House in Order” and “The Midday Lamp,” the authors are both able to effectively communicate that the alienation is self-inflicted. , while using several different techniques. As a result, it becomes apparent that each author can take a similar approach to alienating a character from the story while still developing the theme in a unique way..