Isolation
Duror is the only character to develop such animosity towards the cone-gatherers, and the statement Duror was alone in his obsession
also implies that he experiences his intense hatred without confiding in anyone.
Reticent and inward, Duror is unable to communicate his feelings to other characters. Even when challenged by the doctor, he sat very still
saying nothing. Lady Runcie-Campbell is oblivious to Duror’s troubled mind:
She had not seen this monster in her so respectful, so self-controlled, so properly subservient gamekeeper.
It is primarily because Duror does not vent any of his emotion that his hatred is allowed to grow and overwhelm him.
The characters who know him best ignore his odd behaviour and dishevelled state, unaware of the monster
within.
Other characters are also isolated in their struggle. Neil cannot discuss matters properly with his childlike brother, while Lady Runcie-Campbell, separated from her husband because of the war, is left to deal with her own predicament alone.
