The Mute, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter Originally titled The Mute, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter has been praised by critics for its insights on human relationships, communication, growing up, and loneliness. Set in the mid-1930’s, the story follows a deaf man and his relationship with multiple lonely outcasts in a quaint Georgia town. Initially, the story focuses on John Singer, a mute, who, by intriguing circumstance, connects with four other isolated members of the community. Through an omniscient third-person narration, McCullers tells the tales of the misfit characters: Mick Kelley, an adolescent girl who, due to her family’s extreme poverty and the societal expectations of gender roles and equality, was forced to give up her dreams of becoming a musician; Jake Blount, a borderline alcoholic who rants about politics and socialism; Benedict Copeland, a well-educated black doctor who is also a

They believe that he is a trustworthy confidant who understands their troubles, while in reality, he is a patient listener because he doesn’t want to be rude. Singer really only cares about his old
Schimmels 2 friend who everyone thinks has lost his mind. So, when Antonapoulos dies in the institution, Singer commits suicide, leaving his four acquaintances confused and lost on their continued search for acceptance and companionship. Communication is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. At first, Singer would communicate with his friend through sign language, and then when they were apart, it was harder for them to stay in touch. Later in the book, the theme of communication shows up again, but this time in a more ironic form. People are telling their struggles and trifles to a deaf man, who doesn’t really care about what they are saying. The reliance that the characters have on each other is magnified after the domino-effect of events after Antonapouos’s death and the effects it has on the other