Carson McCullers
Set against the backdrop of a small town in the deep South where violence, poverty, prejudice, and economic discrimination abound, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers poignantly explores loneliness and the yearning for human connection.
The central figure is John Singer, a deaf-mute. The novel opens with Singer and his closest friend, Spiros Antonapoulos, also a deaf-mute, on their daily routine of work and home. The two keep to themselves and rely solely on each other for company. All is going well until Antonapoulos’ behavior becomes seriously problematic and he is institutionalized. Singer is broken-hearted, bereft of his only companion.
With his world turned upside down, Singer changes his routine. He leaves the home he shared with Antonapoulos, rents a room in a nearby house, and eats his meals at a local café. Gradually, he attracts a disparate group of people who hover around him like moths to a flame. They include Mick Kelly, the homeowners’ young daughter who harbors a secret passion for music; Jake Blount, a Marxist alcoholic; Dr. Copeland, a black physician, alienated from his own children and with a burning ambition to educate the black community about their oppression; and Biff Brannon, the lonely café owner.
The characters are sympathetically drawn. They drift in and out of Singer’s room sharing their dreams, frustrations, and heartaches. Each feels better after the encounter, convinced Singer is a kindred spirit who understands. He is their only source of comfort, someone who listens. Meanwhile, Singer, who understands little of what they say, welcomes them warmly, offers food and drink, smiles pleasantly, and nods sympathetically. The conversations are one-sided, not only because they don’t understand sign language but because Singer shares nothing of himself, remaining a blank slate for their projections.
The irony is that as each character projects on to Singer what he/she wants to believe, Singer projects on to Antonapoulos in the same way. He, too, needs to be heard. His devotion to his friend is palpable. He visits him laden with gifts, which Antonapoulos dismisses. He pours his heart out to him in a flurry of sign language, which Antonapoulos ignores. His enthusiasm is not reciprocated as Antonapoulos is more intent on food than he is on his friend. And yet Singer continues to make excuses for him, convincing himself that their bond is unique and unbreakable, and that he, alone, understands him.
An omniscient narrator alternates between the characters, revealing their innermost thoughts. The tragedy lies in their inability to alleviate their loneliness by communicating honestly with one another. They talk at cross purposes, misunderstand, miscommunicate, and prevaricate. Their hunt for connection and a sympathetic ear leads them to Singer whom they endow with wisdom and insight. In reality, he barely understands them and cannot respond to their deepest outpourings.
At twenty-three years old, Carson McCullers was able to fathom the depths of loneliness and the need to be heard with a level of maturity and sophistication far beyond her years. Her portrayal is heart-felt, timeless, profound, and starkly desolate.
A masterpiece and highly recommended.