“Next to music, beer was best”
About Carson McCullers
Carson McCullers is a well-known, America based fiction writer. She was born in Columbus, Georgia, The United States in 1967. She got married to Reeves McCullers, an ex-soldier. The heart is a lonely hunter was her first novel written in the Southern Gothic tradition. Her famous works include The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Member of the Wedding, Reflections in a Golden Eye, etc. There is also a film adaptation of the novel.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Summary
This American novel is the grief of isolation and loneliness of several Americans during the war of the twentieth century. This story is about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encountered in the 1930s, Georgia. The story begins with the friendship of two men, John and Spiros Antonopoulos. Spiros becomes mentally ill and puts into an asylum away from town, and John becomes alone.
There are several characters like Mick Kelly, Jake Blount, Mady Copeland, and Biff Brannon in the novel, which opens their heart’s loneliness or pain with John. Until the climax of the story, none of these lonely souls admired John’s importance in their lives. At the end of the story, the five voices unite in a collective cry of isolation.
Genre: Psychological
Tone: Curious
Type: Southern Gothic
Year of publication: 1940
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Famous Quotes:
- The way I need you is a loneliness I cannot bear.
- The fatal thing a man can do is try to stand alone.
- All we can do is go around telling the truth.
- There was hope in him, and soon perhaps the outline of his journey would take form.
- The whole world was this symphony, and there was not enough of her to listen
Main Themes:
- The ability to be heard
- Hope and despair
- Individuality
- Isolation
Main Characters:
John Singer
Mr. John Singer is a tall and thin man. He has the habit of keeping his hands intact in his pockets. He’s a diligent, kind, and attentive listener.
Spiros Antonapoulos
Spiros is Singer’s best friend. Their friendship continued for more than ten years old. Later, he went to an asylum. His shape is fatty, greasy, and lazy.
Mick Kelly
Mick has a courageous spirit that helps him transform from childhood to adolescence.
Other characters:
Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland, Biff Brannon, Jake Blount, Portia, Willie, Highboy, Bubber Kelly, Ralph Kelly, Bill Kelly, Etta Kelly, etc
