How can you be alienated without first having been connected?

“My mother was a royal virgin," Peterson said, "and my father a shower of gold. …”

“The aim of literature," Baskerville replied grandly, "is the creation of a stra…”

“The horsewife! The very basebone of the American plethora! The horsewife! Witho…”

“--Why are we fighting them?--They're mad. We're sane.--How do we know?--That we…”