In Stone Cold, Swindells explores the profound psychological impact of living unhoused through Link’s experiences, shedding light on the toll of life on the streets. The novel critiques a society that allows people to suffer in silence, highlighting how living unhoused isn’t just about physical survival but also about loneliness, despair, and a loss of identity.

Link’s internal struggles reveal that living unhoused strips away a person’s sense of self-worth. He acknowledges the physical hardships: ”We grew hungry. Really hungry. The cold seems to settle in your bones when there’s nothing in your stomach” (53). He also describes the emotional pain that comes with being unhoused. He develops bruises from sleeping on the hard ground, stomach cramps from hunger, headaches from illness, and toothaches from neglect, however, beyond these physical struggles, Link’s greatest suffering is emotional. He experiences a growing sense of isolation:

I haven’t talked about homesickness, depression or despair. I haven’t gone into how it feels to want a girlfriend when your circumstances make it virtually impossible for you to get one—how it feels to know you’re a social outcast, in fact, a non-person to whom every ordinary everyday activity is closed (42).

This highlights how living unhoused robs

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