When we are no longer of use to our community, we have no option but to retreat into our own world where we set our own goals and follow our own path. No longer do we have the respect of our peers for we are now loners. We have been stripped of our influence but our dignity remains our own. Our needs are not great and our pleasures are simple ones.
Exercise:
Study the image of the Hermit and try to fit his situation into a short story. What is the significance of the scythe and lamp?