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{{Short description|1940 novel by Carson McCullers}}
{{Unreferenced|The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter|date=May 2007}}
{{About||the film|The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)|other uses|The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox book |
{{Otheruses4|the novel|the film|The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)}}
:''For the song 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter' see ]''
{{infobox Book | <!-- See ] or ] -->
| name = The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | name = The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
| title_orig = | title_orig =
| translator = | translator =
| image = ] | image = File:HeartIsALonelyHunter.jpg
| image_caption = Cover of a recent reprint edition | caption = First edition
| author = ] | author = ]
| illustrator = | illustrator =
| cover_artist = | cover_artist =
| country = ] | country = United States
| language = ] | language = English
| series = | series =
| genre = | genre =
| publisher = ] | publisher = ]
| release_date = ] | release_date = 1940
| english_release_date = | english_release_date =
| media_type = Print (]) | media_type = Print (hardcover)
| pages = 356 pp | pages = 356 pp
| isbn = NA
| preceded_by = | preceded_by =
| followed_by = | followed_by =
}} }}


'''''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter''''' (]) is a novel by ]. It is centered on a ]<!-- Do not change to "deaf-mute" until Mediation is complete --> man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the ] of ]. The struggles of four of his primary acquaintances make up the majority of the narrative; they are Mick Kelly, a young girl, Jake Blount, a labor agitator, Biff Brannon, a restaurateur, and Dr. Benedict Copeland, an idealistic ] doctor. '''''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter''''' (1940) is the ] by the American author ]; she was 23 at the time of publication. It is about a ] man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the US state of ].


A. S. Knowles Jr., author of "Six Bronze Petals and Two Red: Carson McCullers in the Forties", wrote that the book "still seems to capture total sensibility more completely than her other works."<ref>{{cite book|author=Knowles, A. S. Jr.|chapter=Six Bronze Petals and Two Red: Carson McCullers in the Forties|editor=French, Warren G.|title=The Forties: Fiction, Poetry, Drama|year=1969|page=}}</ref> Frederic I. Carpenter wrote in the '']'' that the novel "essentially described the struggle of all these lonely people to come to terms with their world, to become members of their society, to find human love—in short, to become mature."<ref name=Carpentercitedp317>{{cite journal |last=Carpenter|first=Frederic I.|title=The Adolescent in American Fiction|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=46|issue=6|date=September 1957|pages=313–319|jstor=808710|doi=10.2307/808710 }} - CITED: p. 317</ref>
A ] ] by the same name was directed by ]. It stars ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. It was nominated for ] for ] (Alan Arkin) and ] (Sondra Locke).


==Major characters== == Title ==
'''John Singer''': A deaf<!-- Do not change to "deaf-mute" until Mediation is complete --> man who makes a living engraving silver pieces in a jewelry shop. Singer is tall and thin, with intelligent gray eyes. He almost always keeps his hands thrust deep into his pockets. A diligent worker and a kind person, he is also a good and attentive listener (which he accomplishes through ]), which makes him very appealing to others.


The title comes from the poem "The Lonely Hunter" by the Scottish poet ], who used the pseudonym "Fiona MacLeod".
'''Spiros Antonapoulos''': A deaf<!-- Do not change to "deaf-mute" until Mediation is complete --> man who is Singer's best friend. Antonapoulos and Singer live together for more than ten years until Antonapoulos is sent to an insane asylum at the beginning of the story. He is fat, greasy, and lazy, never signing anything with his hands unless he is talking about eating, drinking, or sleeping.
"Deep in the heart of Summer, sweet is life to me still, But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill."


== Plot ==
'''Mick Kelly''': The fourth child in a family of six. Fourteen years old, Mick is tall for her age and very thin, with short blond hair and blue eyes. She is often absorbed in private thoughts and dreams, such as learning to play the piano and traveling in foreign countries. Mick's family is poor and takes on boarders as a way to make money.


The book begins with a focus on the relationship between two close friends, John Singer and Spiros Antonapoulos, ] people who have lived together for several years. Antonapoulos becomes mentally ill, misbehaves, and, despite attempts at intervention from Singer, is eventually put into an ] far away from town. Now alone, Singer moves into a new room.
'''Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland''': An aging black doctor who works tirelessly virtually all the time. Dr. Copeland, traveled to the North for an education and then returned to the South out of a feeling of duty to help blacks. He often feels uncontrollable anger about the injustices black people suffer in the South. Copeland is smart, very fastidious and precise in his manner of speaking and word choice, and somewhat estranged from his family.


The remainder of the narrative centers on the struggles of four of John Singer's acquaintances: Mick Kelly, a ] who loves music and dreams of buying a piano; Jake Blount, an alcoholic labor agitator; Biff Brannon, the observant owner of a diner; and Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland, an idealistic physician.
'''Biff Brannon''': The proprietor of the New York Café, a central eating spot in town. Brannon is a quiet, thoughtful man who enjoys pondering life and wants children of his own. His hair is so dark and thick that he needs to shave twice a day. He has a habit of pressing his nose down with his thumb when he thinks about things.


Three times, Singer takes a long trip to visit Spiros in the asylum where he has been placed. On the third trip he learns that Spiros had died; no one had notified Singer.
'''Jake Blount''': A heavy-drinking, ranting man who comes into town and Brannon's café. Jake is a bizarre looking man: short, but with long arms, large hands, and a moustache that appears oddly detached from his somewhat distorted face. He drinks constantly and often goes on long, frustrated rants about ]. Jake's behavior is extremely volatile and occasionally violent, yet in many ways he is the conscience of the novel, spouting sage-like pronouncements most-often in a drunken stupor. ("Why, if Jesus Christ were alive today, he'd be framed and in jail.")


==Creation and conception==
'''Portia''': Dr. Copeland's daughter, who works as a servant in the Kelly household. Portia is very loving and faithful, and she values her relationships with her family members very highly. She always tries to include her father in these gatherings, even though he is estranged from much of the family. Portia has light honey-colored skin like her mother.
McCullers sought to create a novel about a character to whom other characters reveal their innermost secrets. Initially her main character was Jewish.<ref name=Evansp188>Evans, p. 188.</ref>


==Characters==
'''Willie''': Dr. Copeland's son and Portia's brother, who works in the kitchen at Brannon's cafe. Willie always carries his trademark harmonica and plays it wherever he goes. He is a sweet young man, but not very bright, and he gets into trouble primarily by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The scholar Nancy B. Rich stated that many of the supporting characters are only concerned about their own causes and never achieve a "clear voice" due to their lack of courtesy to one another.<ref name=Richp113>Rich, p. 113.</ref> Rich also stated that most of the characters do not stand a chance at making meaningful changes towards the governing system.<ref name=Richp117>Rich, p. 117.</ref>


* '''John Singer'''
==Plot summary==
** Singer, a deaf engraver,<ref name=Hamiltonp218>Hamilton, p. 218.</ref> has learned to speak but chooses to only sign once he meets Antonapoulos.<ref name=Richp112>Rich, p. 112.</ref> Various characters perceive Singer as being from or sympathetic to their respective demographic groups.<ref name=Richp110>Rich, p. 110.</ref> Nancy B. Rich states that the character "neither confirms nor denies" these beliefs, making the question of whether they are true "moot".<ref name=Richp110/> Rich also characterizes Singer as doing "almost nothing" in the story except benevolent acts that "suggest democracy at work".<ref name=Richp111>Rich, p. 111.</ref> Rich added that Singer "appears prominent, but in realityis little more than a memory or an expectation in the minds of other characters" and that the character has an "accessibility" that declines on part of the story.<ref name=Richp111/> Hamilton stated that other characters perceive him as being sympathetic to their needs because he does not speak, and that the characters are wrong in perceiving him as a "god",<ref name=Hamiltonp221>Hamilton, p. 221.</ref> and that Singer's thoughts centrally concern himself and his own needs.<ref name=Hamiltonp222>Hamilton, p. 222.</ref>
** The majority of literary critics have perceived Singer as, in Rich's words, "the pivotal character of the novel", and Rich argues that the interaction of other characters with him is the reason for this.<ref name=Richp110/> Rich described Singer as being there to "objectify the negative force of government".<ref name=Richp110/> Rich stated that critics who did not perceive the political "parable" perceive Singer as a "God figure" with the remaining main cast being "of equal stature in a row behind him."<ref name=Richp117/>
** Initially McCullers conceived him as a Jewish character named Harry Minowitz, based on a painting of a Jewish man in an art gallery whose expression she found to be, as described by Oliver Evans in '']'', "wise, kindly, and compassionate".<ref name=Evansp188/>
* '''Spiros Antonapoulos'''
** Spiros, the initial character depicted in the story,<ref name=Richp113/> is a sweets manufacturer who is of ]. Hamilton stated that before Antonapoulos's mental breakdown, he and Singer are not lonely even though the two had no other significant friendships.<ref name=Hamiltonp218/> Carpenter wrote that Singer's and Antonapoulos's "devotion to each other recalls the desperate attachment of the two lonely ranch hands in ]'s '']''."<ref name=Carpentercitedp317/>
**Rich stated that Spiros's status as a "deaf mute" "signals that his role...is associated with government" and serves as an "arm" of it.<ref name=Richp112/> Rich wrote that Antonapoulos "has always remained just out of view of the major characters."<ref name=Richp112/> Singer is the sole character to remind himself about Antonapoulos.<ref name=Richp111/> Rich also stated that Antonapoulos symbolizes the Greek and Christian roots of the American political system.<ref>Rich, pp. 112113.</ref> Hamilton stated that Singer overlooks the negative traits of Antonapoulos and thinks of positive ones, and so "offers his worship" to the latter.<ref name=Hamiltonp222/>
* '''Margaret "Mick" Kelly'''
** Mick faces the effects of poverty which prevent her from achieving her dreams.<ref name=Hamiltonp219>Hamilton, p. 219.</ref> According to Rich, the character "thinks of herself as an individualist" and has "delusions about her morality",<ref name=Richp115>Rich, p. 115.</ref> and that she does "little thinking in general".<ref>Rich, p. 116.</ref> Furthermore, Mick "seems at first to be a nonconformist" while in fact Mick is shown to conform by the end of the story, adopting a feminine mode of dress while initially being a ].<ref name=Richp115/> Mick instills a sense of toughness in her brothers because she perceives the outside world as requiring strength from individuals.<ref name=Hamiltonp221/> She also uses Singer as, in Carpenter's words, a "confidant".<ref name=Carpentercitedp317/> Rich stated that ultimately Mick "never matures" in terms of morals nor in terms of her intelligence.<ref name=Richp117/> She becomes depressed after Singer's death.<ref name=Hamiltonp219/>
** McCullers initially conceived Mick as a male character named Jester.<ref name=Evansp188/>
** Rich describes Mick as representing women and ordinary ], particularly the ].<ref name=Richp113/> Most reviewers perceived her as the, according to McDonald, "central personage".<ref name=Richp113/> Rich argues that "she represents the real causes of the failure of democracy" as while she has dreams she is unable to figure out what they are,<ref name=Richp113/> and that she represents "public apathy".<ref name=Richp115/> Rich stated that many reviewers perceive her problems as being external, "social and economic", as opposed to personal issues.<ref name=Richp115/>
* '''Biff Brannon'''
** Hamilton states that Brannon has many qualities that could have allowed other characters to turn to him for support, or to make him their "god", and yet the characters instead do that to Singer.<ref name=Hamiltonp219/> Rich states that the character represents "an average, middle class American" through his passion for democracy, gainful employment, and being "vaguely patriotic".<ref name=Richp118>Rich, p. 118.</ref> Rich wrote that "Biff represents middle-class business interests".<ref name=Richp113/> According to Rich, this makes him the sole character who has a chance of making meaningful changes in the governing system.<ref name=Richp117/> Rich also stated that were critics wrongly perceiving him to be "a deviate" with some believing he is secretly attracted to men.<ref name=Richp118/> Rich wrote that Biff fails to "understand" the issues facing other characters even though he "is sympathetic to the others".<ref name=Richp113/> Hamilton wrote that Brannon has the widest "vision" of the five supporting characters and that he realizes that "order" is possible and that dilemmas may be solved.<ref name=Hamiltonp222/> According to Hamilton, "For Biff, universal love is the answer to darkness."<ref name=Hamiltonp222/>
** Rich believes that critics have not focused enough attention on him, arguing "he is the most important character in the parable".<ref name=Richp119>Rich, p. 119.</ref>
* '''Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland'''
** Dr. Copeland, a Black physician, is estranged from his family due to his focus on what Hamilton calls "his love to man", and Hamilton described him as ].<ref name=Hamiltonp218/> Rich stated that "Dr. Copeland is only interested in the Negro problem" and that this limits his effectiveness in enacting societal change.<ref name=Richp113/> Carpenter wrote that Singer treats Copeland "as his equal" and "shares tortured protests against racial injustice."<ref name=Carpentercitedp317/> Copeland suffers a beating from prison guards when he tries to help his son, and moves to a ] as his ] is fatal.<ref>Hamilton p. 218-219.</ref>
* '''Jake Blount'''
** Hamilton stated that Jake is "drunk and abusive" and that "Singer thinks Jake is crazy."<ref name=Hamiltonp218/> Rich argues that his lack of contact with Mick limits his effectiveness.<ref name=Richp113/> Carpenter wrote that with Jake, Singer takes the role as "sympathetic "listener"".<ref name=Carpentercitedp317/>


==Background==
The first chapter of ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' introduces us to John Singer and Spiros Antonapoulos, two good friends who live together in a town in the Deep South and who are both deaf<!-- Do not change to "deaf-mute" until Mediation is complete -->. Antonapoulos works in his cousin's fruit store, and Singer works as a silver engraver in a jewelry shop. They spend ten years living together in this way.
McCullers had started a politically oriented magazine and voiced a possibility of becoming active in politics.<ref name=Richp109>Rich, p. 109.</ref>


==Reception==
One day Antonapoulos gets sick, and even after he recovers he is a changed man. He begins stealing and urinating on buildings, and exhibiting other erratic behavior. Finally, Antonapoulos's cousin sends him to a mental asylum, although Singer would rather have Antonapoulos stay with him. After Antonapoulos leaves, Singer moves into a local boarding house in town run by a family named the Kellys.
When published in 1940, the novel created a literary sensation and enjoyed a rapid rise to the top of the bestseller lists; it was the first in a string of works by McCullers that give voice to those who are rejected, forgotten, mistreated or oppressed.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} Evans wrote that the initial reaction was "a divided reception from the critics, some of whom were inclined to view it, not so much as a novel in its own right, but as a kind of literary phenomenon—as the precocious product" of a young author who may turn out higher quality product when she is older.<ref name=Evansp188/>


Alice Hamilton wrote in the '']'' that the presence of so many mutes in the storyline "Taken literally strains the bounds of credulity."<ref>Hamilton, p. 215.</ref>
The narrator then introduces us to Biff Brannon, the proprietor of the New York Café, the establishment in town where Singer now eats all his meals. Biff is lounging on the counter watching a new patron named Jake Blount, as the constantly drunk Jake is intriguing. Blount goes over and sits with Singer and begins talking to him as though the two are good friends. Then Singer leaves. Once Jake realizes in his drunken stupor that Singer has left, he goes into an alley and begins beating his head and fists against a brick wall until he is bruised and bloody. The police bring Jake back to the café, and Singer volunteers to let the drunk stay the night with him.


Frederic I. Carpenter wrote in '']'' that the ending exhibits "frustration" as Biff Brannon makes comments and as ] makes proclamations over the radio.<ref name="Carpentercitedp317" />
The narrative shifts to the perspective of Mick Kelly, the young teenage daughter of the couple who own the boarding house where Singer is staying. Mick spends her summer days looking after her two younger brothers, Bubber and Ralph. Mick is passionate about music, and she tries to make a violin out of a ukulele and strings from various different instruments. She is frustrated when her attempt fails.


The ] ranked the novel seventeenth on its list of the ]. ] included it in "TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005".<ref>{{cite web|last=Lacayo |first=Richard |url=http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051021140441/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2005 |title=Best Books of ALL TIME |publisher=] |date=2005-10-16 |access-date=2012-12-26}}</ref> In 2004 the novel was selected for ].
The narrative switches to Blount's point of view. Jake applies for and lands a job as a mechanic at a local carnival. He tries to tell some workers about his socialist ideas on his way home, but they laugh at him. He soothes himself by going back to John Singer's place, talking to him and drinking. Then the narrative switches to Dr. Copeland's perspective. Dr. Copeland is a black physician in town. He is angered by a story his daughter, Portia, tells him about a scam artist who took lots of black people's money. He wishes that his children had grown up to be well-educated, successful leaders for the black race rather than accepting the traditional, demeaning, menial jobs that are usually available to blacks in the South at this time. Dr. Copeland remembers a night when John Singer lit a cigarette for him—the first time the Doctor has experienced an act of courtesy from a white man in his entire life.


==Adaptations==
By the end of Part One, Mick, Biff, Jake, and Dr. Copeland have all begun to visit Singer regularly, all taking comfort in him as a confidant.
{{main|The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)}}
A film adaptation was made in 1968, starring ], ] and ].


A stage adaptation of ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' premiered on March 30, 2005, at the ] in ], Georgia. The show ran until April 24 of that year, then toured. The play was an Alliance Theater presentation done in association with ] out of New York. The play, adapted by ], was directed by Doug Hughes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefastertimes.com/theatertalk/2009/10/14/the-new-york-theater-workshop-vs-the-deaf-a-modest-proposal-for-casting-plays/ |title=Compulsory Casting: Is the Demand Legit? &#124; Theater Talk |access-date=2009-11-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024110750/http://thefastertimes.com/theatertalk/2009/10/14/the-new-york-theater-workshop-vs-the-deaf-a-modest-proposal-for-casting-plays/ |archive-date=2009-10-24 }} | For a discussion of some of the issues raised by this production, both for directors and actors</ref><ref>Heart Tour Program: The Acting Company www.theactingcompany.org</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Variety Staff |title=The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter |url=https://variety.com/1967/film/reviews/the-heart-is-a-lonely-hunter-1200421515/ |website=Variety |access-date=February 24, 2020 |date=December 31, 1967}}</ref>
At the opening of Part Two, Mick throws a party with kids from school. During the party, she and her neighbor Harry Minowitz take a stroll around the block. Harry, a Jewish boy, tells Mick how much he hates the Nazis. Later that night, Mick, hiding in the bushes outside a house in the rich neighborhood, overhears on the radio a Beethoven symphony for the first time. She is very moved by it.


British artist ] made McCullers's book the centerpiece of his 2014 painting, ''The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter''. The painting shows two characters each reading the book on the London Underground; it is one of his ongoing series of paintings entitled, "London".<ref>Joe Simpson "2014"</ref>
Biff's wife, Alice, dies after surgery to remove a tumor. Biff is not overly sad about it because he and Alice had fallen out of love. He and his sister-in- law, Lucile Wilson, and Lucile's daughter, Baby, come over to talk to Biff before they go to the funeral. Biff tells Lucile that once he beat up her ex-husband, Leroy, because Leroy had been bragging about how he beat her. The three of them then set off for the funeral.


A radio dramatization was broadcast in two parts by ] on 15 and 22 March 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gd7q |website=BBC Radio 4 |access-date=15 March 2020}}</ref>
Dr. Copeland's youngest son, Willie, is convicted of attempted manslaughter after getting in a fight at a strip club. Willie and is sent to prison. Dr. Copeland starts to feel ill, and soon discovers that he has tuberculosis of the lungs. A few days later, Portia invites Dr. Copeland to come to a family reunion at her house, as his estranged older sons Buddy and Hamilton, as well as Grandpapa (his father-in-law) are going to be in town.


==Notes==
Jake Blount tells Singer about his socialist beliefs and about the books by Marx and Veblen he has read. Blount tells Singer how badly he wants to tell all workers about the evils of capitalism, as he wants to stage a revolution that will result in a more equitable division of labor and profit. On his way home, Jake sees a quote from the Bible written on a wall. He writes underneath the quote that he wants to meet the man who wrote it, but the man never shows up.
{{Reflist}}


==References==
One day, when Mick is sitting out on the front steps with her brother Bubber, Bubber accidentally shoots Baby Wilson in the head with his friend's BB gun. Baby has to be rushed to the hospital, and the six-year-old Bubber feels so bad about the event that he tries to run away from home. Mick and her family find Bubber wandering along the road, trying to hitch a ride to Atlanta.
* {{cite journal |last=Evans|first=Oliver|title=The Case of the Silent Singer: A Revaluation of "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"|journal=]|volume=19|issue=2|date=Summer 1965|pages=188–203|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41396097|jstor=41396097}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hamilton|first=Alice|title=Loneliness and Alienation: The Life and Work of Carson McCullers|url=https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/bitstream/handle/10222/59385/dalrev_vol50_iss2_pp215_229.pdf?sequence=1|journal=]|issue=50|year=1969|pages=215–229}}
* {{cite journal |last=Rich |first=Nancy B. |date=Spring 1977 |title=The "Ironic Parable of Fascism" in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" |journal=] |publisher=] |volume=9|issue=2|pages=108–123 |jstor=20077564 }}


==External links==
Dr. Copeland throws his customary Christmas party at his house. Once the guests are assembled, he delivers a powerful speech about the importance of education for black people. He also tells the guests about ], whom he believes was a great writer and thinker. Dr. Copeland feels happy knowing that he is helping his people toward achieving justice, though he later worries that his guests will not remember his words for long.
* {{FadedPage|id=20190862|name=The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter}}
* '''' first edition dustjacket, ]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, The}}
Singer misses Antonapoulos terribly, and he writes his friend a letter telling him about the four visitors who come to see him all the time. Then Singer takes a few days off from work and goes to the mental hospital to see Antonapoulos, who is now sick with ]. Singer gives his friend a moving picture machine for Christmas.
]

]
Biff Brannon redecorates his bedroom after Alice's death, and one day he finds some old perfume of hers and begins wearing it. Lucile and Baby come to eat at the café; Baby is still bald from her surgery and more ill-tempered than she was before her accident. Biff realizes that he wishes Mick and Baby could be his own children.
]

]
Mick begins to write music in her spare time. Songs come into her head and she writes them down in a notebook she hides beneath her bed in a hatbox. She and Harry Minowitz make plans to kill Hitler. One day during a wrestling match Mick and Harry suddenly feel attracted to one another, but nothing happens.
]

]
Dr. Copeland and Portia have not heard from Willie in six weeks. Finally Portia receives word that Willie was punished because one of his friends was rude to a prison guard. Willie was tied up and locked in a cold room for three days; when he was let out, his feet were gangrenous and had to be cut off. Dr. Copeland goes to the courthouse to talk to a white judge that he knows, but a racist sheriff picks a fight with the Doctor, beats him, and throws him in jail.
]

]
Mick and Harry Minowitz decide to take a bike trip to a lake to go swimming because the weather has gotten so hot. They end up having sex, and Harry is very upset about it; he is afraid his mother will be able to tell what has happened. Harry tells Mick that he is going to leave town, but that he will write to her once he has found work to make sure she is doing alright.
]

]
Jake Blount meets the man who wrote the quote from the Bible on the brick wall; the man's name is Simms, and he preaches on the sidewalks. Simms starts coming to preach at the carnival where Jake works, and Jake occasionally makes fun of him. One day, Jake goes to see Singer, who is just returning from seeing Dr. Copeland. Singer tells Blount the news about Willie's feet. Jake says he would like to try to help Willie, so he and Singer go to Portia's house, where Willie is staying. Jake gets drunker and drunker during the visit, and neither Portia nor Willie wants Jake to get involved in Willie's incident because they think it will just lead to more trouble. Jake accidentally stumbles into the room where Dr. Copeland is lying in bed recovering, and the two men get into a heated debate about Marxism and the best way to take action to change society. Despite their seemingly similar ideologies, the two men get in an argument and Blount storms out.
]

Mick takes a job at Woolworth's to help support her family, but then wonders if she has made a bad choice, realizing she will likely have to drop out of high school. Mick visits Singer and asks him if he thinks it a good idea to take the job. When he nods in assent, Mick feels reassured.

Singer then sets off to see Antonapoulos once again. He brings many wrapped gifts with him along with a fruit basket and a basket of strawberries. However, when Singer arrives, the orderly tells him that Antonapoulos has died. The shocked Singer wanders about listlessly, returns home on the train, goes to work the next day, and shoots himself in the chest when he gets back to his room in the evening.

In Part Three of the novel, we briefly see snapshots of the four main characters on a day not long after Singer's death. Dr. Copeland is sent to live on Grandpapa's farm—a move the Doctor does not want to make but about which he has no choice, as he is too sick to take care of himself anymore. Dr. Copeland feels that his life purpose—striving to attain justice for the black people—is an unfinished failure.

Jake Blount is angry that Singer has died, as he himself has spent much of the last year confiding in a man who is now dead. Blount tries to find Dr. Copeland to make amends with him after their previous argument, but Portia tells Blount that Dr. Copeland has already left for Grandpapa's. Jake decides to take the next train out of town to try and start anew somewhere else.

Mick Kelly has decided to continue working at Woolworth's. She does not understand why Singer killed himself, but she tries not to let it bother her too much anymore. She reflects that lately she has not had any time or energy to write music, but she nonetheless resolves to start saving for a little piano. Even though nobody forced Mick to take the job at Woolworth's, she feels cheated. However, she still maintains optimism and resolves to pursue her plans.

Biff Brannon keeps on working at the New York Café, pondering the patrons as he always has. At the café late that night, Biff thinks that Singer's death is a riddle that will remain a mystery for a long time. Biff experiences a brief epiphany about the meaning of life, and then prepares himself to greet the approaching day.

==Criticism==
The novel is among many works of art by numerous authors that has been subjected to social criticism for the manner in which deaf people are represented; The novel's protagonist, John Singer, is "silent", a characterization that appeals to hearing people's beliefs that silence represents a dark side in deaf people and implies that deaf people are shut off in their state from mankind. Social critics and scholars in deaf culture, as well as deaf people themselves, find these kinds of representations to be unrealistically generalized to all deaf people. On the other hand, Singer is represented as a kind, understanding character who communicates well with others.

<!-- Alan Arkin -->
<!-- Sondra Locke -->

==External links==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The}}
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Latest revision as of 01:34, 26 November 2024

1940 novel by Carson McCullers For the film, see The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film). For other uses, see The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (disambiguation).
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
First edition
AuthorCarson McCullers
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHoughton Mifflin
Publication date1940
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages356 pp

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940) is the debut novel by the American author Carson McCullers; she was 23 at the time of publication. It is about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the US state of Georgia.

A. S. Knowles Jr., author of "Six Bronze Petals and Two Red: Carson McCullers in the Forties", wrote that the book "still seems to capture total sensibility more completely than her other works." Frederic I. Carpenter wrote in the English Journal that the novel "essentially described the struggle of all these lonely people to come to terms with their world, to become members of their society, to find human love—in short, to become mature."

Title

The title comes from the poem "The Lonely Hunter" by the Scottish poet William Sharp, who used the pseudonym "Fiona MacLeod". "Deep in the heart of Summer, sweet is life to me still, But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill."

Plot

The book begins with a focus on the relationship between two close friends, John Singer and Spiros Antonapoulos, deaf people who have lived together for several years. Antonapoulos becomes mentally ill, misbehaves, and, despite attempts at intervention from Singer, is eventually put into an insane asylum far away from town. Now alone, Singer moves into a new room.

The remainder of the narrative centers on the struggles of four of John Singer's acquaintances: Mick Kelly, a tomboy who loves music and dreams of buying a piano; Jake Blount, an alcoholic labor agitator; Biff Brannon, the observant owner of a diner; and Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland, an idealistic physician.

Three times, Singer takes a long trip to visit Spiros in the asylum where he has been placed. On the third trip he learns that Spiros had died; no one had notified Singer.

Creation and conception

McCullers sought to create a novel about a character to whom other characters reveal their innermost secrets. Initially her main character was Jewish.

Characters

The scholar Nancy B. Rich stated that many of the supporting characters are only concerned about their own causes and never achieve a "clear voice" due to their lack of courtesy to one another. Rich also stated that most of the characters do not stand a chance at making meaningful changes towards the governing system.

  • John Singer
    • Singer, a deaf engraver, has learned to speak but chooses to only sign once he meets Antonapoulos. Various characters perceive Singer as being from or sympathetic to their respective demographic groups. Nancy B. Rich states that the character "neither confirms nor denies" these beliefs, making the question of whether they are true "moot". Rich also characterizes Singer as doing "almost nothing" in the story except benevolent acts that "suggest democracy at work". Rich added that Singer "appears prominent, but in realityis little more than a memory or an expectation in the minds of other characters" and that the character has an "accessibility" that declines on part of the story. Hamilton stated that other characters perceive him as being sympathetic to their needs because he does not speak, and that the characters are wrong in perceiving him as a "god", and that Singer's thoughts centrally concern himself and his own needs.
    • The majority of literary critics have perceived Singer as, in Rich's words, "the pivotal character of the novel", and Rich argues that the interaction of other characters with him is the reason for this. Rich described Singer as being there to "objectify the negative force of government". Rich stated that critics who did not perceive the political "parable" perceive Singer as a "God figure" with the remaining main cast being "of equal stature in a row behind him."
    • Initially McCullers conceived him as a Jewish character named Harry Minowitz, based on a painting of a Jewish man in an art gallery whose expression she found to be, as described by Oliver Evans in The Georgia Review , "wise, kindly, and compassionate".
  • Spiros Antonapoulos
    • Spiros, the initial character depicted in the story, is a sweets manufacturer who is of Greek ancestry. Hamilton stated that before Antonapoulos's mental breakdown, he and Singer are not lonely even though the two had no other significant friendships. Carpenter wrote that Singer's and Antonapoulos's "devotion to each other recalls the desperate attachment of the two lonely ranch hands in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men."
    • Rich stated that Spiros's status as a "deaf mute" "signals that his role...is associated with government" and serves as an "arm" of it. Rich wrote that Antonapoulos "has always remained just out of view of the major characters." Singer is the sole character to remind himself about Antonapoulos. Rich also stated that Antonapoulos symbolizes the Greek and Christian roots of the American political system. Hamilton stated that Singer overlooks the negative traits of Antonapoulos and thinks of positive ones, and so "offers his worship" to the latter.
  • Margaret "Mick" Kelly
    • Mick faces the effects of poverty which prevent her from achieving her dreams. According to Rich, the character "thinks of herself as an individualist" and has "delusions about her morality", and that she does "little thinking in general". Furthermore, Mick "seems at first to be a nonconformist" while in fact Mick is shown to conform by the end of the story, adopting a feminine mode of dress while initially being a tomboy. Mick instills a sense of toughness in her brothers because she perceives the outside world as requiring strength from individuals. She also uses Singer as, in Carpenter's words, a "confidant". Rich stated that ultimately Mick "never matures" in terms of morals nor in terms of her intelligence. She becomes depressed after Singer's death.
    • McCullers initially conceived Mick as a male character named Jester.
    • Rich describes Mick as representing women and ordinary White Americans, particularly the silent majority. Most reviewers perceived her as the, according to McDonald, "central personage". Rich argues that "she represents the real causes of the failure of democracy" as while she has dreams she is unable to figure out what they are, and that she represents "public apathy". Rich stated that many reviewers perceive her problems as being external, "social and economic", as opposed to personal issues.
  • Biff Brannon
    • Hamilton states that Brannon has many qualities that could have allowed other characters to turn to him for support, or to make him their "god", and yet the characters instead do that to Singer. Rich states that the character represents "an average, middle class American" through his passion for democracy, gainful employment, and being "vaguely patriotic". Rich wrote that "Biff represents middle-class business interests". According to Rich, this makes him the sole character who has a chance of making meaningful changes in the governing system. Rich also stated that were critics wrongly perceiving him to be "a deviate" with some believing he is secretly attracted to men. Rich wrote that Biff fails to "understand" the issues facing other characters even though he "is sympathetic to the others". Hamilton wrote that Brannon has the widest "vision" of the five supporting characters and that he realizes that "order" is possible and that dilemmas may be solved. According to Hamilton, "For Biff, universal love is the answer to darkness."
    • Rich believes that critics have not focused enough attention on him, arguing "he is the most important character in the parable".
  • Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland
    • Dr. Copeland, a Black physician, is estranged from his family due to his focus on what Hamilton calls "his love to man", and Hamilton described him as agnostic. Rich stated that "Dr. Copeland is only interested in the Negro problem" and that this limits his effectiveness in enacting societal change. Carpenter wrote that Singer treats Copeland "as his equal" and "shares tortured protests against racial injustice." Copeland suffers a beating from prison guards when he tries to help his son, and moves to a poor farm as his tuberculosis is fatal.
  • Jake Blount
    • Hamilton stated that Jake is "drunk and abusive" and that "Singer thinks Jake is crazy." Rich argues that his lack of contact with Mick limits his effectiveness. Carpenter wrote that with Jake, Singer takes the role as "sympathetic "listener"".

Background

McCullers had started a politically oriented magazine and voiced a possibility of becoming active in politics.

Reception

When published in 1940, the novel created a literary sensation and enjoyed a rapid rise to the top of the bestseller lists; it was the first in a string of works by McCullers that give voice to those who are rejected, forgotten, mistreated or oppressed. Evans wrote that the initial reaction was "a divided reception from the critics, some of whom were inclined to view it, not so much as a novel in its own right, but as a kind of literary phenomenon—as the precocious product" of a young author who may turn out higher quality product when she is older.

Alice Hamilton wrote in the Dalhousie Review that the presence of so many mutes in the storyline "Taken literally strains the bounds of credulity."

Frederic I. Carpenter wrote in The English Journal that the ending exhibits "frustration" as Biff Brannon makes comments and as Adolf Hitler makes proclamations over the radio.

The Modern Library ranked the novel seventeenth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Time included it in "TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005". In 2004 the novel was selected for Oprah's Book Club.

Adaptations

Main article: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film)

A film adaptation was made in 1968, starring Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke and Cicely Tyson.

A stage adaptation of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter premiered on March 30, 2005, at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show ran until April 24 of that year, then toured. The play was an Alliance Theater presentation done in association with The Acting Company out of New York. The play, adapted by Rebecca Gilman, was directed by Doug Hughes.

British artist Joe Simpson made McCullers's book the centerpiece of his 2014 painting, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. The painting shows two characters each reading the book on the London Underground; it is one of his ongoing series of paintings entitled, "London".

A radio dramatization was broadcast in two parts by BBC Radio 4 on 15 and 22 March 2020.

Notes

  1. Knowles, A. S. Jr. (1969). "Six Bronze Petals and Two Red: Carson McCullers in the Forties". In French, Warren G. (ed.). The Forties: Fiction, Poetry, Drama. p. 87.
  2. ^ Carpenter, Frederic I. (September 1957). "The Adolescent in American Fiction". English Journal. 46 (6). National Council of Teachers of English: 313–319. doi:10.2307/808710. JSTOR 808710. - CITED: p. 317
  3. ^ Evans, p. 188.
  4. ^ Rich, p. 113.
  5. ^ Rich, p. 117.
  6. ^ Hamilton, p. 218.
  7. ^ Rich, p. 112.
  8. ^ Rich, p. 110.
  9. ^ Rich, p. 111.
  10. ^ Hamilton, p. 221.
  11. ^ Hamilton, p. 222.
  12. Rich, pp. 112113.
  13. ^ Hamilton, p. 219.
  14. ^ Rich, p. 115.
  15. Rich, p. 116.
  16. ^ Rich, p. 118.
  17. Rich, p. 119.
  18. Hamilton p. 218-219.
  19. Rich, p. 109.
  20. Hamilton, p. 215.
  21. Lacayo, Richard (2005-10-16). "Best Books of ALL TIME". Time. Archived from the original on October 21, 2005. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  22. "Compulsory Casting: Is the Demand Legit? | Theater Talk". Archived from the original on 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-11-10. | For a discussion of some of the issues raised by this production, both for directors and actors
  23. Heart Tour Program: The Acting Company www.theactingcompany.org
  24. Variety Staff (December 31, 1967). "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter". Variety. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  25. Joe Simpson "Joe Simpson - The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Oil on Canvas" "2014"
  26. "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 15 March 2020.

References

External links

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