The outsider, by definition, is isolated in some way from the dominant thrust of society. Many outsiders don’t decide to be outsiders, but are born with an inner sense of difference, a sense of seeing or feeling, observing, more than others, often with a driving sense of purpose and a lack of interest and/or ability to conform with the expectations of the status. “A hermit is simply a person to whom civilization has failed to adjust itself.” ― Will Cuppy. For me, the significant elements arising from this quote communicates an understanding that “black people” who are severely discriminated and introverted by society causes their solitary race to become unidentified and isolated. So I ask myself, how has the concept of the outsider portrayed itself throughout society? The concept of the outsider is portrayed in a society between “black” and “white” people. Where the white people avert and reject the black people. Throughout my understanding the alienation of society is illustrated from the use of Norman Rockwell’s artwork – “The Problem We all Live With” – 1964. Illustrated in this picture is a girl named “Ruby” who is escorted to kindergarten by federal marshals. She was the only black child to attend the school, and after entering the building she and her mother went to the principal’s office while the white parents came in and took their children out.

The notion represented by this illustration conveys important elements about the society in the 1960’s. The racism and discrimination had a huge impact in US society causing the “black people” to become alienated and solitary. At first I noticed that as the eye travels in a counter-clockwise ellipse around the scene, it is easy to overlook two barely-noticeable elements that are the crux of "The Problem We All Live With." Scrawled on the wall are the racial slur, "NIGGER," and the menacing acronym, "KKK." clearly making this an artwork about race and relations. Not only do they set context, I believe they help the viewer identify with Ruby. She’s the visual focus of the painting, and she’s also the only person we can see in entirety. It’s natural to wonder what it must have been like to walk past those words. Alternatively, the use of Ruby’s white dress works with her dark skin to create the high contrast which symbolises purity and innocence. Rather than painting her figure all with dark tones or all with light ones, Norman Rockwell instead gives her the extremes of the values range. Everything else appears in the mid-tones, including the marshals. Ruby protrudes out of the painting at us because she’s the most interesting thing in the painting values-wise.

Subsequently I realised that the use of federal marshals who are portrayed as faceless bodies, represented an institution. Yes, they’re protecting her, but they also box her in. Visually they frame her and define her space, just as they do conceptually. In this artwork it is the white people who both keep her safe and keep her in a box.

Having analysed Norman Rockwell’s artwork “The Problem We All Live With”, I now realise that the US society had an extensive impact on black people, even though they didn’t discriminate against anyone, they’ll always be known as “the outsider”. Within this illustration “the outsider” has been portrayed as Ruby through the use of high contrast. Most importantly I have learnt that many outsiders don’t decide to be outsiders, but are born with an inner sense of difference.