Carson McCullers 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter' has captured my interest with its constant change of viewpoint between main characters. Every chapter starts with an idea from the following chapter, but a different point of view. The connections I have found between the characters were not immediately obvious. I like that there is a sense of obscurity. For example, in chapter two on page twenty-two Blount brings the Negro man into the bar. Its stated, “the Negro left as soon as he realized why he had been led into the bar”. Blount knew “[The Negro man] was related in some way to young Willie back in the kitchen”.
Then you do not her anymore about this man, or relate Willie as an important character in this book until chapter five on page eighty-five. On this page Dr. Copeland, the “negro man”, states his point of view about the ‘bar incident’. He states “A few nights ago a drunken white man had come up to him and begun pulling him along the street. …the drunkard had pulled him into a white man’s restaurant and the white men at the counter had begun hollering out with their insolence. He knew that the drunkard had been making fun of him”. It was nice to be able to make that connection to the beginning of the book.
‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ has formatting unlike any other piece of literature I have read previously. Therefore, is slightly hard to understand all of the small detail at first, but this confusion is what motivates me to continue reading. For me this book is like an unsolved puzzle that I am putting together, piece by piece.
I just recently finish the Second part to this three-part book. I noticed that this part held most of the changing, a lot of action, and much information. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t understand everything that was happening. At times, it was exceedingly hard to keep all the information straight, but in time things fell together. For example, at the beginning of the book (pg. 24) Blount began to speak of conspiracy and the ’Don’t-knows’. He mentioned this idea many times throughout the book to any character willing to listen. I didn’t completely understand what conspiracy he was talking about until the end of chapter thirteen (pg. 295-305) when Blount and Doctor Copeland had a profound discussion about the government and the “Negro race”.
Although some of my questions now have answers, some still with no remedy. For instance the relationships or romantic feeling between characters. I have felt at times that maybe I am just reading too much into the old-time wording, but it seems to me that some of the characters have found romantic likings towards people they shouldn’t. Perhaps Mick dreams of being romantically involved with one of the boarders, Mister Singer. Possibly Mister Brannon has grown unsuitable liking towards young Mick. I have followed the interaction between these characters very meticulously, but I have not found definite words to approve my inference. However, I did notice that Mister Brannon has lead me to believe in my inferences by denoting how wrong his feelings towards Mick were. Furthermore, on page 232-233 it is stated “[Mister Brannon] had no business going to the place where he was headed. He had walked into the nationhood where he might see Mick. And there was something about it that was - not quite right”. In the same way Mick alluded to her feeling for Mister Singer in saying that he was the only person in her very special “inside room”(pg. 241) and “in the morning the first thing she would think of was him”(pg, 243). I feel as if my inferences are accurate, because I have precise information to back it up. The last relationship that has been prominent throughout the book that I has left me questioning is between Singer and Antonopoulos. Sometimes the love that Singer feels for Antonopoulos seems like more than just friendship or brotherly. I cannot fathom why such an intelligent being would befriend and become so attached to someone so simple-minded. Mister Antonopoulos mainly cares about food. He doesn’t return any loving feeling towards Singer, yet Singer still proceeds with gift giving and non-stop extolling. I was much taken aback to find that Singer took his own life. It was unexpected of such a great man.
I wait to learn the ending and piece every part of the puzzle together. Since I fist picked up “the Heart is a Lonely Hunter”. I have searched for the reasoning behind the title. I would like to end in a thought provoking way by leaving you with the quotes from this book that I found to be very interesting.
“And we sell our bodies everyday we live. We sell them when we go out in the morning to our jobs and when we labor all day. We are forced to sell at any price, at any time, for any purpose. We are forced to sell our bodies so that we can eat and live. And the price which is given us for this is only enough so that we will have the strength to labor longer for the profits of others. Today we are not put up on platforms and sold at the courthouse square. But we are forced to sell our strengths, our time, our souls during almost every hour that we live. We have been freed from one kind of slavery only to be delivered into another”(pg. 190).
“ He touched the solid bottom of despair there took ease“(pg. 256).
After finishing “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, I had to reflect on the title. I have concluded that the meaning of this title is to synopsize the feelings of the characters in this book. All of the characters were searching for something to complete them in their seemingly empty lives. Some were looking for love, others for change. Some of the characters were merely observers looking for answers. However, there was a prevalence of “hunting” for what their heart longed, in all of the characters. This idea did not become evident, for me, until I finished the book. I believe that this book was well worth reading. It made question myself and the people around me. Why are we searching? What do we need to be completed?
The idea of our hearts being lonely hunters will stick with me for a long while.
In my reading of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," I have been extremely fascinated by the character of Dr. Copeland. At first he seems to be a victim; then we discover that he is as bigoted a person as the whites that he criticizes. Equally interesting to me is his relationship with his children. From their births, he tried to raise them as educated, modern thinkers. But his lapses in self-control resulted in the ostracization of his wife and the subsequent estrangement of his children. And yet he never did anything to the children that wasn't to their good. The difference between parent and children is most obvious when we see the difference between Dr. Copeland's speech and that of Portia. Why would they choose to be so different?
I already made a second post, but it seems to have disappeared.
The second part of this three part novel is different in both content, containing scenes of action found nowhere else, and length, being twice as long as any other section. It loses the direct characterization of the first section, relying more on actions than speech to convey meaning. One of the largest new elements is Mr. Blount's collaboration with Dr. Copeland. In the first section he talks somewhat of the ones who Know and those who don't. In the new section he speaks with Dr. Copeland about solving both of their problems, having so many people who don't Know, and the oppression of the Negro race, with one solution. Of course, they disagree about the method. Another major development is Mr. Singer's integration into the lives of all the townspeople. Everyone in the town loves him and is sorry after he hears of Antonapoulos' fate. An interesting thing is that the town is never given a name. Even as all these events take place, the place has no name. Why is it that the town hasn't got a name?
The last and shortest section of the book leaves the reader with the most questions. What will happen to the town without Mr. Singer? Where will Jake Blount go? What will happen with Dr. Copeland's cause? Why does the author change her style so much in the last section? Why does it stop before the funeral? I don't have answers to these questions. I did however have the question of the title answered. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Whomever or whatever you search for, you must do it alone. any aid or companionship is only temporary. I think it sad that the author found it necessary to give us this message instead of a more hopeful one. But cynicism is a way of life.
Looking back on the book, I found it boring and tiresome at first, but eventually I found myself caught up in the story. I would be interested in reading more by this author and seeing if she conveyed the same bleak message in her other novels.
Carson McCullers 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter' has captured my interest with its constant change of viewpoint between main characters. Every chapter starts with an idea from the following chapter, but a different point of view.
ReplyDeleteThe connections I have found between the characters were not immediately obvious. I like that there is a sense of obscurity. For example, in chapter two on page twenty-two Blount brings the Negro man into the bar. Its stated, “the Negro left as soon as he realized why he had been led into the bar”. Blount knew “[The Negro man] was related in some way to young Willie back in the kitchen”.
Then you do not her anymore about this man, or relate Willie as an important character in this book until chapter five on page eighty-five. On this page Dr. Copeland, the “negro man”, states his point of view about the ‘bar incident’. He states “A few nights ago a drunken white man had come up to him and begun pulling him along the street. …the drunkard had pulled him into a white man’s restaurant and the white men at the counter had begun hollering out with their insolence. He knew that the drunkard had been making fun of him”. It was nice to be able to make that connection to the beginning of the book.
‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ has formatting unlike any other piece of literature I have read previously. Therefore, is slightly hard to understand all of the small detail at first, but this confusion is what motivates me to continue reading. For me this book is like an unsolved puzzle that I am putting together, piece by piece.
I just recently finish the Second part to this three-part book. I noticed that this part held most of the changing, a lot of action, and much information. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t understand everything that was happening. At times, it was exceedingly hard to keep all the information straight, but in time things fell together. For example, at the beginning of the book (pg. 24) Blount began to speak of conspiracy and the ’Don’t-knows’. He mentioned this idea many times throughout the book to any character willing to listen. I didn’t completely understand what conspiracy he was talking about until the end of chapter thirteen (pg. 295-305) when Blount and Doctor Copeland had a profound discussion about the government and the “Negro race”.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of my questions now have answers, some still with no remedy. For instance the relationships or romantic feeling between characters. I have felt at times that maybe I am just reading too much into the old-time wording, but it seems to me that some of the characters have found romantic likings towards people they shouldn’t. Perhaps Mick dreams of being romantically involved with one of the boarders, Mister Singer. Possibly Mister Brannon has grown unsuitable liking towards young Mick. I have followed the interaction between these characters very meticulously, but I have not found definite words to approve my inference. However, I did notice that Mister Brannon has lead me to believe in my inferences by denoting how wrong his feelings towards Mick were. Furthermore, on page 232-233 it is stated “[Mister Brannon] had no business going to the place where he was headed. He had walked into the nationhood where he might see Mick. And there was something about it that was - not quite right”. In the same way Mick alluded to her feeling for Mister Singer in saying that he was the only person in her very special “inside room”(pg. 241) and “in the morning the first thing she would think of was him”(pg, 243). I feel as if my inferences are accurate, because I have precise information to back it up. The last relationship that has been prominent throughout the book that I has left me questioning is between Singer and Antonopoulos. Sometimes the love that Singer feels for Antonopoulos seems like more than just friendship or brotherly. I cannot fathom why such an intelligent being would befriend and become so attached to someone so simple-minded. Mister Antonopoulos mainly cares about food. He doesn’t return any loving feeling towards Singer, yet Singer still proceeds with gift giving and non-stop extolling. I was much taken aback to find that Singer took his own life. It was unexpected of such a great man.
I wait to learn the ending and piece every part of the puzzle together. Since I fist picked up “the Heart is a Lonely Hunter”. I have searched for the reasoning behind the title. I would like to end in a thought provoking way by leaving you with the quotes from this book that I found to be very interesting.
“And we sell our bodies everyday we live. We sell them when we go out in the morning to our jobs and when we labor all day. We are forced to sell at any price, at any time, for any purpose. We are forced to sell our bodies so that we can eat and live. And the price which is given us for this is only enough so that we will have the strength to labor longer for the profits of others. Today we are not put up on platforms and sold at the courthouse square. But we are forced to sell our strengths, our time, our souls during almost every hour that we live. We have been freed from one kind of slavery only to be delivered into another”(pg. 190).
“ He touched the solid bottom of despair there took ease“(pg. 256).
After finishing “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, I had to reflect on the title. I have concluded that the meaning of this title is to synopsize the feelings of the characters in this book. All of the characters were searching for something to complete them in their seemingly empty lives. Some were looking for love, others for change. Some of the characters were merely observers looking for answers. However, there was a prevalence of “hunting” for what their heart longed, in all of the characters. This idea did not become evident, for me, until I finished the book. I believe that this book was well worth reading. It made question myself and the people around me. Why are we searching? What do we need to be completed?
ReplyDeleteThe idea of our hearts being lonely hunters will stick with me for a long while.
In my reading of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," I have been extremely fascinated by the character of Dr. Copeland. At first he seems to be a victim; then we discover that he is as bigoted a person as the whites that he criticizes. Equally interesting to me is his relationship with his children. From their births, he tried to raise them as educated, modern thinkers. But his lapses in self-control resulted in the ostracization of his wife and the subsequent estrangement of his children. And yet he never did anything to the children that wasn't to their good. The difference between parent and children is most obvious when we see the difference between Dr. Copeland's speech and that of Portia. Why would they choose to be so different?
ReplyDeleteI already made a second post, but it seems to have disappeared.
ReplyDeleteThe second part of this three part novel is different in both content, containing scenes of action found nowhere else, and length, being twice as long as any other section. It loses the direct characterization of the first section, relying more on actions than speech to convey meaning. One of the largest new elements is Mr. Blount's collaboration with Dr. Copeland. In the first section he talks somewhat of the ones who Know and those who don't. In the new section he speaks with Dr. Copeland about solving both of their problems, having so many people who don't Know, and the oppression of the Negro race, with one solution. Of course, they disagree about the method. Another major development is Mr. Singer's integration into the lives of all the townspeople. Everyone in the town loves him and is sorry after he hears of Antonapoulos' fate. An interesting thing is that the town is never given a name. Even as all these events take place, the place has no name. Why is it that the town hasn't got a name?
The last and shortest section of the book leaves the reader with the most questions. What will happen to the town without Mr. Singer? Where will Jake Blount go? What will happen with Dr. Copeland's cause? Why does the author change her style so much in the last section? Why does it stop before the funeral? I don't have answers to these questions. I did however have the question of the title answered. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Whomever or whatever you search for, you must do it alone. any aid or companionship is only temporary. I think it sad that the author found it necessary to give us this message instead of a more hopeful one. But cynicism is a way of life.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on the book, I found it boring and tiresome at first, but eventually I found myself caught up in the story. I would be interested in reading more by this author and seeing if she conveyed the same bleak message in her other novels.