Carson Mcculler's The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, written by Carson McCullers, revolves around the life of a deaf mute, John Singer, and the four characters who find comfort in him as their confidant; a progressive white, a widower, a black physician, and a twelve year old girl. Each character lives a life of loneliness, looking for an escape from reality whenever possible. Singer becomes an outlet for the characters to express their deepest and darkest secrets. They talk to him about their frustration about the life in which they live, believing that Singer cares about them. Each one of the four characters believe they are doomed to loneliness, which is why they find comfort in Singer. The characters in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter are completely convinced that …show more content…

Rather than searching for a connection with one person, Jake feels like he has a connection with oppressed workers all over the world. In the novel, he searches for people that knew the truth. However, he was rarely successful. Many of the people with whom he encounters think that he is crazy and laugh at him. One of his coworkers says “I can’t look at him without laughing” (McCullers). His dogmatic belief that he had the power to change the world, corrupted him and prevented him from making connections with people. When he and Dr. Copeland agree to meet to discuss society, Biff cannot put Copelands needs above his. Copeland is trying to unit the African race in attempts to raise their status, but Blount thinks it is better to work to benefit everyone. Blount, as well as Copeland, cannot put the others cause above his own. Due to his failed attempts to make connections, Blount drinks copious amounts of alcohol. He goes to the New York Cafe and engages in the activities of drinking and terrorizing the customers. His drinking further otrasizes him from those around him. Singer even talked to Antonopoulos about how all of his encounters with Jake, he was drunk. Blount is constantly lonely, with his ideas of reform the only things there for him. Blounts fear of becoming a nobody who never fulfills his dreams causes him to drink lots of alcohol, making it even harder to form human connections as can be seen in the quote “The loneliness in him was so keen that he was filled with terror”

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