IndexList of CharactersPlot SummarySettingMeaning of the TitlePoint of ViewThemesList of CharactersMick Kelly: A young girl who is always in her own world, constantly thinking about music and with desire to go to a different country. He lives in the same house as Singer and many other characters. She is tall and thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and dresses like a tomboy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John Singer: a deaf mute who all the characters lean on and depend on to speak. Best friends of Antonapoulos. He is an attentive listener, but never fully understands anything. He is tall and thin with gray eyes. Biff Brannon: owner of a bar, very attentive and curious about the world around him. He is silent most of the time, reflecting on what his life would be like with his children. He has dark hair. It doesn't depend on or connect with Singer to the extent that Mick or Blount do. Jake Blount: A drunk, he often visits Brannon's bar, where he meets Singer. He has very erratic behavior and can sometimes be violent. He is short, but has long arms and large hands. Doctor Copeland: African American man. Portia's father, although he is estranged from most of his family. He is constantly angry at the world and all its injustices. He is a doctor and always works. He is a very intelligent man. Spiros Antonapoulos: also deaf and dumb and is Singer's best friend. At the beginning of the novel he is sent to an asylum, separating him and Singer after living together for more than ten years. He's fat and lazy. Portia Copeland: African American woman. Dr. Copeland's daughter lives in the house with Mick and Singer. She is very religious and tries to impose her beliefs on her father and Mick. He never really bonds with Singer, despite living in the same house as him. She is a strong woman. Plot. Heart is a Lonely Hunter mainly follows the lives of Mick, Singer, Brannon, Blount and Copeland as they go through their daily lives, each of their lives having some sort of connection between them. The story first begins with Singer and Antonapoulos, two deaf-mutes. Quickly, Antonapoulos is removed from Singer and placed in an asylum. At this point, Singer has to completely change the routine lifestyle he is used to, and that's when he leaves and meets Mick, Brannon, Blount, and Copeland. After meeting Singer, these four characters find a kind of comfort and understanding in him. Each of them confides in Singer as a way to express their problems and just as someone to talk to, during their loneliness, especially in difficult times. Mick's family falls into poverty, Copeland loses all his wealth and his son, Blount is a borderline alcoholic, and Brannon loses his wife. Each character thinks Singer is the only one who can understand them, when in reality he is as isolated and lost as they are. After Singer's friend Antonapoulos dies, Singer kills himself because her death finally pushed him to the breaking point, as Antonapoulos was the only real friend Singer had. After these four characters find out about Singer's death, they become even more confused as no one knows the reason for the suicide. Everyone loses the person on whom they depended so much in their daily lives, that they almost no longer know how to behave, thus pushing them even further into isolation and alienation. In the end, each character is left alone as at the beginning of the book. Setting The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is set during the Great Depression in the South. Readers are never informed of the exact city on which the novel is based. Know that it is set duringthe Great Depression helps readers understand more about each character and their struggles, whether economic or political.physically or mentally. It follows characters from the lower middle class in the South, where there is a lot of racism and poverty, connecting to one of the themes of the book: oppression and racism. This is also a major factor that mentally affects the characters, especially Dr. Copeland as he is constantly angry due to all the racism and injustices surrounding people of color. The setting also gives readers an insight into the religious beliefs of this period, Christianity being the strongest religion. But during the Depression, many people turned their backs on religion as they blamed God for all the difficulties in their lives, thinking that He was the only explanation for it all. McCullers hints at this through the death of Singer and Antonapoulos who were compared to Christ and God, and through the death of both of these characters, he is shutting down the existence and dependence associated with Christianity or any religious ideal. Meaning of the Title The title The Heart is a Lonely Hunter has a lot of relation and meaning to the themes of the novel. The meaning is that each character is a "hunter", each hunting or wanting a different thing from life, therefore sending them into this spiral of loneliness and isolation from others and the outside world. The title has also been linked to a poem by William Sharp. The specific line of the poem is “But my heart is a lonely hunter hunting on a lonely hill.” The poem also includes similar themes mentioned in McCullers' book. Themes such as the importance of music, isolation and death. Point of View The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is told from the third-person point of view. The Unknown Narrator follows approximately five main characters, switching between them in each chapter, giving readers greater insight into their individual thoughts and feelings. This helps create a closer bond between readers and characters, allowing readers to relate to different aspects of certain characters. The fact that the narrator is unknown makes readers wonder who the narrator is and whether or not he is a reliable source. But because of the narrator's knowledge and understanding of each character's thoughts and feelings, we are led to believe that what is being read comes from a reliable narrator. But the question of who the narrator is still remains unanswered and is up to the reader's speculation. Themes There is a constant feeling of loneliness, as if a piece is missing in their lives, as the characters have involuntarily isolated themselves from the world and others. Each character in Heart is a Lonely Hunter is struggling to escape from some sort of isolation or loneliness. Thanks to their actions, they all managed to isolate themselves from the world and those around them. This isolation is a combination of environmental and internal conflicts. For example, Dr. Copeland has the opportunity to build closer relationships with his children, but there is something internally that distances him from them. The narrator describes this by saying, “Dr. Copeland gritted his teeth. He had thought so much about Hamilton, Karl Marx, William and Portia, about the real purpose he had for them, that the sight of their faces gave him a black and swollen feeling.” This clearly shows Copeland's internal conflict, how he cannot let go of these past visions of his children, no matter how much they have aged and how much they have changed, therefore sending himself into isolation, unable to create loving relationships. with no one seen pushing everyone out. Another example of a character who isolates himself is Biff Brannon. After the death of his wife Brannon is completely transformed and has no one left to look afterto depend on, but never makes any effort to change the situation. When people talk to him, he kind of ignores them, never giving anyone a personal impression of him. At the end of chapter two, the narrator says this about Brannon, "And it was none other than - Bartholomew - old Biff with two fists and a quick tongue - Mr. Brannon - alone." In the first two chapters of the book, Brannon is described as being “on his own,” but this fact never really changes. He ends every day alone, with no one to go home with. He is one of the characters who doesn't really seem to have a problem being alone, as he shows no interest or effort to change the situation. There is no internal or environmental conflict, just him and his thoughts that lead him to loneliness. Religion is used as a sense of false hope or fantasy, as each character feels the need to have some sort of guidance in their life. Throughout the book, we see very few characters who are actually very religious and depend on Christianity in their daily lives. In addition to Portia, he tries to spread his religious life to others, like Mick for example. Every time Mick talked to Portia about something in her life, Portia told her that she should try going to church or praying. At one point, when Mick was talking to her, Portia tells her this in response: “Fools like you and my father who don't go to church can never have peace” (McCullers 50). This put the idea in Mick's head that he needed some sort of authority or power in his life to depend on, like Portia depends on God, and this is where Singer comes into Mick's life. Mick sees him as her God and she begins to depend on him and trust him in most of her decision making, using him for guidance. The narrator describes Mick's feelings towards Singer by saying, "She talked to him more than she had ever talked to a person before... It was like he was some kind of great teacher, just because he was a dumb guy and didn't teach". This is why many connect Singer to God, as he was the anchor and great authority in the lives of so many readers. But in reality he was just creating this false hope for them, filling the gaps in their loneliness, thinking that he actually cared for them. But he never even considered them his friends. It was just their way of expressing themselves, because it didn't really provide them anything, since he couldn't even speak. Oppression and racism are a common problem in society that angers characters and brings them to the brink of mental instability. .The main character who is pushed to the edge of anger due to racism and oppression is Dr. Copeland. He has very specific opinions about the injustices of the world and gets easily angry when people don't understand or agree with his views, therefore pushing him into a mentally unstable state. The first time he really expresses his opinions is at a party where he stands up in front of the crowd and says everything he has to say. At this point he was very controlled and said some important things like: “The injustice of need must unite us all and not separate us.” He was simply preaching to the people just like Marx or MLK did. But later in the book he is pushed by Jake Blount to the point of exploding as they have two completely different points of view. During the argument, Dr. Copeland is pushed to the breaking point: “His eyes were bloodshot and his hands clutched the bedspread… They looked at each other and waited. As the silence continued, the tension between them became more tense.” They've both been pushed so hard by each other that they're sitting there furious. It's clear that the ongoing oppression and racism in society has led to both of us descending into thisstate. This fight scene is very important because it's kind of a realization for both Blount and Copeland that people can have different opinions, and clearly a white man's opinion is not going to be the same as a black man's, like they used to They. they don't have the same social experiences. Many characters have a lot of curiosity about the world around them, but particularly about Biff Brannon. McCuller demonstrates this curious tone through Biff's fascination with Singer throughout the novel. When Singer shows up at his bar for the first time, he immediately arouses Brannon's interest: "From time to time his gaze moved to the silent man who sat alone at one of the central tables, or to other customers in front of the counter" . This is the very first description readers receive of Brannon, quickly learning that he is very curious. It's shown through his eyes, looking at everyone in his bar, observing what everyone is doing. Later in the book he exerts a similar fascination as Singer, but this time aimed at Mick Kelly. He talks to his employee Harry, asking him about Mick, to which the narrator says: “Mick Kelly - He felt like his ears were on fire. He knew he was a fool. He wanted to turn and leave, yet he remained there. He smiles and presses his nose with his thumb." He has an almost disturbing interest in her, to the point of asking his friends for any information about her, letting curiosity get the better of him. McCullers uses this frustrated tone mostly when writing about Copeland, as he is very frustrated with the world around him. One of his main frustrations is the feeling that no one ever fully understands him. Often think about whether or not he is understood after having a conversation with him, think: “How much of what he said today was understood? He remembered the words he used and they seemed to fade and lose their force.” The fact that he often feels misunderstood causes him a lot of frustration and also sends him into isolation. He feels like he can never talk to anyone, because no one fully understands him. This frustration stemmed from her past, when her children always took their mother's side, never fully understanding the lessons she was trying to teach them. Most of the time he is precise with his words, but it is this inner struggle within him that thinks he will never be understood. He also gets frustrated when people don't have the same beliefs as him, he thinks, “Dr. Copeland sensed the old evil anger in him. The words rose in his throat in a rudimentary way and he could not pronounce them." The frustrated tone used also makes readers feel almost as angry as Copeland, almost wanting people to understand him and how he simply wants justice for people of color, and that his views are quite similar to those of the present day. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In the entire novel, there are many characters who undergo changes. One of the main characters, Mick, experiences the most development as he grows through his teenage years. This creates a dynamic tone, as readers see Mick slowly lose his childlike innocence as he ages. For example, Mick undergoes a drastic change at the very beginning of the second part of the novel, the narrator says: “Nothing happened that she could describe to herself in thoughts or words, but there was a feeling of change. All the time she was excited. In the morning he couldn't wait to get out of bed and start the day." At this point in the novel, Mick finally realizes the changes taking place. He comes to realization and accepts that he is growing and maturing, accepting.