2025 Sejong Writing Competition
Winning Entries :: Essays :: Adult first place
Title: Alienation in Modern Society: An Analysis of “A Rabbit”
In contemporary society, alienation has become an ever-growing issue, affecting individuals on both personal and collective levels. The sense of detachment from others, from meaningful labor, and even from oneself has been exacerbated by rapid urbanization, the digitization of human interactions, and the mechanical nature of modern work. These themes of isolation and the resulting existential emptiness are keenly explored in A Rabbit, a short story that delves into the monotonous and detached life of a temporary worker in an unnamed foreign city. Through the protagonist’s experiences with his job, his social surroundings, and his temporary pet rabbit, the narrative exposes the dehumanizing effects of modern life, revealing a society where human connections are fleeting, and individual worth is determined by economic utility rather than personal identity.
The protagonist’s job in A Rabbit mirrors the alienation that many workers face in the contemporary workforce. His role is mechanical and uninspired; he collects data, compiles reports, and submits them to a supervisor who barely acknowledges his existence. His superior’s description of his job as being a “hunting dog,” merely retrieving information without consideration of its use, underscores the way modern labor strips individuals of autonomy and meaning. This dynamic is reflective of Karl Marx’s theory of alienation, which argues that under capitalist systems, workers are distanced from the fruits of their labor, from the act of production itself, from their coworkers, and ultimately from their own humanity. The protagonist’s futile attempts to inject meaning into his work - such as intentionally inserting incorrect data into reports, only to realize no one notices- reinforce his sense of powerlessness. The repetitive nature of his tasks, combined with the indifference of his superiors and coworkers, exacerbates his existential crisis. The office, depicted as a monotonous beehive of cubicles, is filled with employees who, like him, are merely fulfilling their roles without genuine engagement. This depiction serves as a critique of modern work environments, where efficiency and productivity take precedence over human fulfillment and meaningful social interaction.
In addition to workplace alienation, A Rabbit also explores the isolating effects of contemporary urban life. The protagonist resides in a large, impersonal apartment complex where neighbors are strangers, and human interaction is virtually nonexistent. This setting reflects the reality of many modern cities, where millions of people live in close physical proximity but experience profound emotional and social distance. His daily routine—going to work, stopping by his missing superior’s apartment, and returning home to feed his rabbit—illustrates the cyclical monotony of urban existence. Cities, which should theoretically foster community and interaction, often do the opposite, reducing individuals to isolated units whose interactions are transactional rather than personal. The scene in which the protagonist realizes that his apartment looks identical to the one in the disturbing viral video further emphasizes the interchangeability and anonymity of modern existence. The uniformity of the apartments signifies a loss of personal identity, reinforcing the notion that in such environments, individuals become indistinguishable from one another.
A central motif in the story is the abandoned rabbit, which serves as an allegory for the protagonist’s own disposability in society. Initially, he perceives the rabbit’s red eyes as a reflection of his own exhaustion, and he takes it home, believing it offers some semblance of connection. However, his relationship with the rabbit is ultimately shallow; he neglects it, forgets to feed it, and views it as another temporary fixture in his transient life. Just as people in the story abandoned their rabbits once they grew bored of them, the protagonist ultimately discards his rabbit when his assignment ends. This act parallels the treatment of workers in corporate and bureaucratic systems—employees are valuable only as long as they serve a purpose, and when they are no longer needed, they are discarded without a second thought.
Modern society encourages a similar disposability in human relationships. Whether it be pets, products, or even people, society promotes a culture of temporary gratification rather than long-term commitment. The children in the story who persuade their parents to buy rabbits, only to abandon them when they become inconvenient, mirror the way society treats workers, relationships, and even entire communities as replaceable. Despite his alienation, the protagonist makes a few attempts to connect with others, all of which end in failure. His conversations with his section leader are brief and devoid of warmth; his inquiries about his missing superior are met with indifference; and even when he seeks help regarding the rabbit, he receives dismissive responses. These interactions reinforce the theme that in modern society, genuine human connection is difficult to establish and even harder to maintain.
The presence of the rabbit initially offers a glimmer of hope for companionship, but it quickly becomes apparent that the protagonist lacks the emotional capacity to truly care for another being. His treatment of the rabbit reflects his broader disengagement with life, he neither nurtures it nor forms a meaningful bond with it. His final act of abandoning the rabbit solidifies his emotional detachment, reinforcing the idea that, in the modern world, relationships, whether with animals, people, or even oneself, are often superficial and short-lived.
A Rabbit serves as a powerful critique of the alienation inherent in contemporary society. Through its depiction of meaningless labor, urban isolation, the disposability of living beings, and the failure of human connection, the story illustrates the profound loneliness that characterizes modern existence. The protagonist’s experiences are not unique to him but are representative of a broader societal condition—one where individuals are increasingly disconnected from their work, their communities, and ultimately themselves. The themes explored in the story align with real-world critiques of modernity. The analysis of the protagonist’s dehumanizing job highlights the alienation caused by bureaucratic and corporate structures, while the discussion of the rabbit as a disposable commodity draws attention to the way modern society commodifies and abandons both people and relationships. These insights reinforce the notion that the issues faced by the protagonist are not just fictional but deeply embedded in the realities of contemporary life.
Consequently, A Rabbit forces readers to reflect on their own experiences of alienation and detachment. It questions whether modern society, in its relentless pursuit of efficiency and convenience, has sacrificed the very elements that make life meaningful - genuine relationships, purposeful labor, and a sense of belonging.