With its profound sense of moral isolation and its sensitive glimpses into the inner lives of lonely people, [this] is considered McCullers' finest work. The focus of the work is on John Singer, a deaf-mute in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s, and on his effect on the people who confide in him. When Singer's mute Greek companion of 10 years goes insane, Singer is left alone and isolated. He takes a room with the Kelly family, where he is visited by the town's misfits, who turn to him for understanding but have no knowledge of his inner life. When Singer discovers that his Greek friend has died, he realizes that he can communicate with no one and shoots himself. The author established her reputation with the novel, which was her first.
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (1 of 26),
Read 69 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Friday, April 12, 2002 10:20 PM
Is anyone else reading this right now? I know a few had
mentioned they would.
I initially read this in high school, some 25+ years ago. My
only vague memory was of Mr. Singer, the deaf-mute. I'll
say now that this is the best book I've read all year. Even
though the sadness seemed overwhelming at times, I
could not refrain from pressing ahead and reading on. The
characters were all so vital--so real to me.
Anyone else ready to discuss it?
Anne
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (2 of 26),
Read 63 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Friday, April 12, 2002 10:24 PM
Hey, Anne! I'm going to start this one as soon as I finish
'Being Dead.' I already have the book, so give me a few
days, and I'll be ready to start discussing it with you. I've
been just itching to get to it, and I'm so glad you started
this thread.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (3 of 26),
Read 62 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Friday, April 12, 2002 10:39 PM
Ooh, I love this novel...
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (4 of 26),
Read 55 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Monday, April 15, 2002 01:58 PM
Anne, I've been sitting on my back porch, in our beautiful
80 degree weather, reading this novel. The writing is so
gorgeous, and leaves me dumb struck to think she was
only 23 when she wrote this.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (5 of 26),
Read 50 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Tuesday, April 16, 2002 05:10 PM
Anne, I've just started reading this so hopefully, I'll be
able to join in the discussion.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (6 of 26),
Read 49 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Tuesday, April 16, 2002 08:08 PM
Beej,
I sat out in the sun last week to read, too! To be so
young and have such an understanding of human
nature...amazing, isn't it?
Ee Lin, I'm glad you're joining us!
Anne
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (7 of 26),
Read 53 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, April 16, 2002 09:02 PM
Anne and Ee Lin, After reading a brief bio on McCullers,
nothing would surprise me about her!
Here's a link to an essay on McCullers.. it's not very well
written, but it says it all..
http://www.carson-mccullers.com/html/confusion.html
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (8 of 26),
Read 43 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Thursday, April 18, 2002 04:21 PM
Thanks Anne and Beej. I'm progressing a little slowly, not
because of a lack of interest, but just having difficulty
getting chunks of time for uninterrupted reading. You two
plow on ahead and I'll catch up when I can.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (9 of 26),
Read 48 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Friday, April 19, 2002 03:08 PM
Oh, Ee Lin! I was so looking forward to your input! Is
anyone else reading this? There's a lot I was hoping to
talk about with this one.
Anne, I love McCullers' portrayal of the blacks, especially
Doctor Copeland and Portia. I'm reminded of Faulkner in
this regard. In fact, Portia very much reminds me of a
young Dilcey.
From what I've read on the net about McCullers, it seems
to me the character of Mick is more than a bit
autobiographical.
I just love this book. It's one of those stories that replays
in your head all through the day. I'm still trying to figure
out how anybody so young could possibly have, not only
such a grasp on the English language..I think the writing
is absolutely flawless.., but also such incredible insight
into human nature.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (10 of
26), Read 43 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Friday, April 19, 2002 04:17 PM
I was surprised by how much emotion this 23 year old
writer pulled out of me. She first broke my heart with the
Bubber/Baby Wilson scene. From then on, my heart was
not safe.
I, like all the characters in the book, was drawn to Mr.
Singer. He knew everything about everyone, yet no one
knew him at all. They thought they did, but they had done
all the talking and no asking. Poor guy. The scene where
he wandered into the bar after finding out about
Anatopoulus, and trying to communicate with the other
deaf-mutes had me in tears.
This book is so full of wonderful characters and twists of
plots. She certainly had me believing each of her
characters. There is so much here to discuss...Are you
finished yet, Beej?
Anne
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (11 of
26), Read 47 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Saturday, April 20, 2002 01:01 PM
Oh, Anne...no, I'm not. I'm TRYING to finish it! But it seems
every single time, without fail, that I sit down with this
book, one of the kids comes out with the "Maaaaaaaaa!"
war whoop!
But, I have managed to read about 2/3rds of it, and I
agree. There's lots discuss.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (12 of
26), Read 35 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Sunday, April 21, 2002 05:01 PM
Hi Beej and Anne,
I'm trying to read as fast as I can. :-) Just about halfway
through, right after the Bubber/Baby Wilson episode. I felt
so sorry for Bubber.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (13 of
26), Read 34 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 08:33 AM
Oh, Ee Lin, wasn't that just heartbreaking? Poor Bubber. I
got so emotionally involved when Mick ran her mouth to
that child about how he was going to go to jail, that my
hands just clenched with the desire to slap that girl!
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (14 of
26), Read 38 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 09:21 AM
I want to add..maybe to spur others on to reading this
(only because it's just such a tremendously good novel),
that this will probably rank with the all time great reads of
my life.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (15 of
26), Read 29 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 05:41 PM
I've just finished this book and to be honest I'm not quite
sure what to make of it. On the one hand, I liked it well
enough to read the entire thing. But I think that I don't
'get' it. What was McCullers trying to convey? Was she
trying to show us how lonely these people were? Singer,
because his one friend, Anatopoulos, had been moved to
an asylum, and the others' company gave him some
comfort. The others (Biff, Jake, the doctor and Mick), who
felt marginalised but thought that Singer was their friend
because he was the only one who didn't talk back and
protest and he always had a sympathetic face?
For me, the saddest bit in the story was the beginning
when Anatopoulos's cousin had him committed and how
heart-broken Singer was. It seemed as if Singer lived only
for those times when he could see his friend again, and
how difficult it must have been to be unable to
communicate with him as he used to. Strangely,
Anatopoulos seemed to fulfill the same role for Singer as
Singer did for the others. In the asylum, Anatopoulos
hardly spoke and didn't seem to understand Singer and
yet Singer seemed to feel comforted despite that.
And Mick, at the end, it just seemed that all her dreams
got buried under the realities of her life. It was sad that
Mick who had so many aspirations in the beginning
seemed to be on the same road that Dr Copeland and
Jake Blount had taken.
Beej, yes, when Mick started saying that she would teach
Bubber, I just thought, nonononononono!
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (16 of
26), Read 37 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 10:33 PM
I don't know if they were really lonely or simply victims of
a self imposed isolation. When you think about it, there
was very little personal interaction, which is why, I think,
they were all drawn to Mr. Singer..they each were able to
talk to him without any real interaction with him.
With the single exception of Portia, not one of these
characters lived in the present. They were all overly
involved with the past or the future, it seemed to me.
Everything Mick did was done with an eye on the future.
Mr. Brannon was so involved in the past that he wore his
deceased spouse's perfume. Even Mr. Singer lived in the
past with his memories of Antonapoulos and in the future
with his anticipation in visiting him.
I'm not certain what the title means, but I suspect it
means that in hunting for our own happiness, we have to
go it alone. Nobody is going to find it for us.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (17 of
26), Read 27 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Wednesday, April 24, 2002 05:22 PM
Beej,
You make very good points! You're right, all four of them
were fixated with the past or the future. And they could
talk to Singer without him arguing back. Remember when
Jake Blount and Dr Copeland tried to talk to each other? I
felt that they were really talking about the same thing but
each refused to see the common ground that they shared
and ended up not being able to build a friendship. Jake
felt this, I think, but by the time he tried to do something
about it, it was too late.
I thought the others were drawn to Singer because he
seemed compassionate and as Anne said, they each
projected the qualities they desired in a friend on to
Singer.
Loved your point about the heart hunting for happiness
on its own. I also felt it conveyed the longing of the heart
for a boon companion.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (18 of
26), Read 25 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Wednesday, April 24, 2002 09:25 PM
"I also felt it conveyed the longing of the heart for a boon
companion."
Ee Lin, I think you're right. Each of these characters
desperately longed for someone to accompany him or her
down the path toward attainment of some sort of higher
purpose. And, isn't it odd that the one person they were
most drawn to was someone who never expressed any
sharing of ideas? So, again, I think you're right..they saw
Singer as a sounding board. He couldn't argue or say they
were wrong. He, in affect, simply validated their agendas
with his silence.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (19 of
26), Read 21 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Thursday, April 25, 2002 12:46 PM
I am about half way through this, I finally found my copy in
the mess that are my books...a book shlef might help! Just
going to catch up on this thread a little later today. It
really is a wonderful book...so well written.
Candy
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (20 of
26), Read 23 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Thursday, April 25, 2002 05:04 PM
Beej, Candy, Anne,
Could any of you figure out Biff Brannon? He never
seemed to say very much to Singer. He just seemed to
watch in silence. I never quite figured out what he was
watching or waiting for.
Beej - yes, Singer was seen as a silent sounding board.
When Jake and Dr Copeland tried to express their ideas
with anybody else, they just seemed to end up in quarrels
or fights.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (21 of
26), Read 23 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Thursday, April 25, 2002 09:56 PM
Ee Lin, Good question. I know I felt uncomfortable with
this character, but couldn't figure out why, except he
seemed to have some pretty bizarre feelings for Mick. I
think Biff lived in a fantasy world. We know he was a good
man just by his charity towards Jake, but basically I
thought of him as pretty much out in la-la-land. I really
believe this character has a lot of depth that I'm missing.
I'm curious as to what Anne and Candy think.
You know what I really loved about this book..outside of
the incredibly beautiful writing? I loved how McCullers
wrote each character from a humanistic point of view;
there was no judgement..not a one was made to be bad
or evil or stupid; there was no right or wrong with her
characters. No black and white personalities, but just
variations of shades of gray. No character was
outrageously and predominately stereotyped as to race.
They were all simply, and beautifully, human.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (22 of
26), Read 19 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Friday, April 26, 2002 06:30 AM
I thought Biff had some sexual feelings for Mick, near the
beginning of the book. I found it disturbing, but he also
seemed to find it disturbing...
The way this is written, I felt nervous as if tension was
building up right from the start. Something about the
matter-of-fact description of Singer and A's friendship.
I agree, this book was written with out judgement on
each character...
Just a minute, having posting troubles...
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (23 of
26), Read 17 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Friday, April 26, 2002 04:32 PM
Biff gave me the creeps a bit. Mick felt the same. But he
seemed to be a good soul, over all. He sure put up with
Jake when he could have easily sent him away.
Wearing his dead wife's perfume was just a little over the
top for me, though...
Anne
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (24 of
26), Read 16 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Friday, April 26, 2002 08:10 PM
Wasn't it odd, though, that Biff's affections for Mick went
away when she got that job?
The town they lived in seemed so stifling, so containing.
The only one who seemed to be able to really try to fulfill
his dreams was Harry. And that was only because he left
town.
For some reason, the character who broke my heart was
Dr. Copeland. That entire scene where he was thrown in
jail touched me more than any other scene in the book.
I picked up a biography of McCullers, and was surprised to
read, on the first page, that McCullers was immediately
compared to Faulkner upon publication of this first novel! I
had posted that I noticed a resemblance in one of my
earlier posts. But, I had no idea this comparison had been
made before. The bio also said that when this book was
first published, the literary world was absolutely stunned
that someone so young could pen a book with this sort of
depth..In other words, everything we've been saying
here, is what has always been said about McCullers, since
her very first novel.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (25 of
26), Read 16 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Ee Lin Kuan eelin@althor.fsnet.co.uk
Date:
Saturday, April 27, 2002 04:59 AM
I thought I was misinterpreting Biff's feelings for Mick. But
I'm glad to see my perceptions weren't wrong. It was
unsettling to read about Biff's feelings for Mick. But at
least he seemed to realise that they weren't quite right
and he didn't turn his thoughts into action.
Agree about all the characters being human. I did think
that they were very moody, though. All of the characters
seemed to dwell on their troubles and feelings a lot and
they always seemed to be looking for something that they
just couldn't find.
Ee Lin
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (26 of
26), Read 8 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Janet Mego vsjego@cs.com
Date:
Sunday, April 28, 2002 12:31 PM
So glad to discover this thread after being too exhausted
or lazy or something lately to climb the stairs to the
computer much. McCullers is an old favorite of mine. I
discovered her at 14--my mom gave me this book, and I
went on to read everything she'd written and later, to
write a term paper (not very good) on McCullers's
characters and the aspects of herself she inserts into
many of them. I think Mick is definitely one of these--she
reflects the author's own romantic yearning for maturity,
acceptance into society, and passion.
I have read this one and THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING,
my favorite, several times, but I still get Mick and Frankie,
the heroine of MOTW, confused. Note the male names:
McCullers was bisexual, or so the biographies imply, and
very frank about her own crushes on various other female
writers. I think one of these was Katherine Anne Porter,
who simply stepped over McCullers and walked away one
day as the latter lay across the threshold of Porter's room
at Yaddo. McCullers was proclaiming her love for Porter
dramatically as Porter made her dignified exit.
This unabashed frankness makes its way into her writing
sans affected drama, I think, and makes her the unique
talent that she is. Loneliness, yearning for acceptance,
and those qualities which make one "different" from the
"norm" are her focus.
I have too much going on to reread THIALH, and my last
reading was too long ago to really be able to discuss this
one, but I hope we can do MEMBER or BALLAD OF THE SAD
CAFE sometime--I've reread these two recently enough to
maybe do them justice. THere is a great old movie of
THIALH, btw.
Janet
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (27 of
34), Read 15 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 01:51 PM
Many thoughts here as I read all these posts.
One is the things we have said about Singer. It seems to
me he could represent "god" in this novel. He knows
whats going on as people talk or confide in him, he
doesn't speak, and he is often described in the novel as
having a lingering subtle smile...(like a Mona Lisa or a
Buddha.)
I came to this novel very young after seeing the movie
version starring Alan Arkin. Arkin was a acting god for me
as I grew up I would seek out anything he was in. He
plays Singer and was nominated for an Academy Award for
this role( also for in The Russians Are Coming). He also
was in Catch 22.
I was wondering if any of McCullers books have been
discussed or nominated forClassics Corner reads?
(p.s. Janet, have you ever read Perfume? I think it's up
your gothic alley, since you like Rices Witching Hour)
Candy
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (28 of
34), Read 11 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 03:18 PM
Here are two sections that I thought were
interesting...and they contrast/or line up these two
characters early in the story Jake Blount and Doctor
Coleman:
"Mick went to the stove and filled her plate a second time.
Portia's voice was going up and down like a song, and
nothing could stop her now.
'I doesn't see my Father much-maybe once a week-but I
done a lot of thinking about him. I feels sorrier for him
than anybody I knows. I expect he done read more books
than any white man in this town. He done read more
books and he done worried about more things. He full of
books and worrying. He done lost God and turned his back
to religion. All his troubles come down to just that.' "
Chapter 3.
"Singer pushed the wine toward his guest. Jake drank
from the bottle and rubbed the top of his head.
'You see, its like I'm two people. One of me is an educated
man. I been in some of the biggest libraries in the country.
I read. I read all the time. I read books that tell the pure
honest truth. Over there in my suitcase I have books by
Karl Marx and Thorstein Veblen and such writers as them.
I read them over and over, and the more I study the
madder I get. I know every word printed on every page.
To begin I like words. Dialectic materilism-Jesuitical
prevarcation-Jake rolled the syllables in his mouth with
loving solemnity-teleological propensity.'
The mute wiped his forehead with a neatly folded
handkerchief.
'But what I'm getting at is this. When a person KNOWS
and can't make the others understand, what does he do?'
" Chapter 4
And then in Chapter 5 we learn how Dr. Copeland feels
the same way as he talks to Portia. He says how he tried
to make his children(one called Karl Marx) learn about the
truth.
Candy
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (29 of
34), Read 13 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 03:19 PM
Candy, I thought of that, too...that Singer represented
God..also, they were so emotionally isolated and I was
struck by the irony that their 'god,' a deaf mute, was
probably the most isolated of them all; even the person he
loved the most in the world abetted this isolation, because
he was incapable of truly understanding and relating to
the love Singer felt for him.
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (30 of
34), Read 12 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 03:30 PM
Yeah, it seems like so many of the characters are more
interested in their own world views being accepted and
imposed than on "listening" and finding out from each
other...
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (31 of
34), Read 11 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 03:34 PM
Speaking of irony, doesn't it seem odd that a novelist
would have two such unhappy characters as Jake and Dr.
C showing how their unhappiness seems to come from
reading. (Something Steve has noted many times here at
CR, that people who read are frustrated people heh heh.)
See quotes in my post #28.
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (32 of
34), Read 10 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 03:39 PM
Yep, Singer was only a mirror, that's all he was to these
people. But, when you really think about it, we are all
mirrors to a certain extent. this was just a gross
exaggeration of that.
Did Dr. Copeland remind anybody else of Martin Luther
King? Especially with his desire to march to Washington
DC?
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (33 of
34), Read 12 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 05:23 PM
Ah here is this:
"Now she felt good. She whispered some words out
loud:'Lord forgiveth me, for I Knoweth not what I do.' Why
did she think that? Everybody in the past few years knew
there wasn't any real God. When she thought of what
she used to imagine was God she could only see Mister
Singer with a long white sheet around him. God was
silent-maybe that was why she was reminded. She said
the words again, just as she would speak them to Mister
Singer:'Lord forgiveth me, for I knoweth not what I do.' "
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (34 of
34), Read 19 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Monday, April 29, 2002 06:24 PM
Maybe she said that because no matter what people
might say, they realize somewhere deep in their hearts,
they do not know for absolutely certain that there is no
God. They may believe that, but they do not know it.
(And I've been wanting to say that for two weeks now.
Amen.)
Beej
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (35 of
35), Read 19 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Wednesday, May 01, 2002 10:43 AM
Well, you are absolutely correct about that Beej, there is
NO proof there is no God. People who say they are atheist
or not believers in God, have based their
opinion/experience on exactly the same kinds of
logic/emotion/experience as people who believe in God.
Faith.
I've been re-reading several parts of this book. It is clear
that to a few of the people in this town, Singer is God to
them, or maybe it is more respectful to say "a god" to
them. A lot of the function of this story is to show how
people apply their own morality and personality and belief
systems onto God. Remember the part where we hear
about the various folks who were Jewish, thought Singer
was Jewish, the Turk who spoke to him believed Singer
was Turkish.
We also saw that Singer didn't "follow" much of the
monologues he listened to, not understanding the point of
"music" for Mick, or "politics" for Blount. He visited with
people not because of their personalities or belief
systems, he didn't seem to measure them by those traits.
When he kills himself, its as if God isn't interested in the
people...is the novel saying not only have we abandoned
God, but God has abandoned us? Or do we expect
something from God that is not what God is interested in?
I don't know...
What really interests me is the kind of layers...there is a
layer to Singer that is God, and I think the reader is
supposed to consider him God too.
The other layers are all the levels of gender in characters.
At first I felt put off of Biff because he seemed to have
pervy thoughts about Mick, maybe even Baby. I think it
wasn't just a sexual thing, I think I misunderstood that. In
many ways Biff is the "hero" of the story because he
simply keeps the cafe open FOR people. Without
understanding, but out of a charitable motive. He is really
acting in a loving way in the town.
Another reason I think Biff was not merely pervy was that
he saw himself as wishing he could be a "mother". His
wearing of perfume was lke cross-dressing. Even the way
he decorated his bedroom after his wife died was a kind
of cross-dressing. I believe this was indicating that he
was trying to be more emotional, or WAS more emotional
than we think of a general mans role in society. He was
being "feminine" to be more caring and loving...
There were a number of cross-dressing references in this
novel. We find that Doctor Copeland by the time he was
moving closer to his family(yes because of his illness) was
wearing a "shawl". Mick wore shorts and dressed and
acted like a "boy". By the time she dressed just as a
woman-she seemed more cut off from her soul, and other
people, her brothers, music and her passions.
I believe in the novel we are seeing that the boundaries
between the sexes are like the boundaries set up
between religions and nationalities and social class. The
novel seems to say these are social constructs, not from
nature or from God, but we make them, and we hold them
as forces to keep us apart from each other and keep a
distance and to keep up hate. I think the novel suggests
that these social constructs prevent us from loving each
other and being a helpful loving community. And our social
constructs force fed on God keep us from being a helpful
community too. Both our belief in a particular God and our
disbelief in any God keep us from being a loving
community...that these are postures just like our politics
and our sex designated clothes.
Candy
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (30 of
33), Read 17 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Wednesday, May 08, 2002 04:14 PM
"(Biff)He laid his finger on the side of his nose and cocked
his head to one side. Mick had grown so much in the past
year that soon she would be taller than he was. She was
dressed in the red sweater and blue pleated skirt she
had worn every day since school started. Now the pleats
had come out and the hem dragged loose around her
sharp, jutting knees. She was at the age when she
looked as much like an overgrown boy as a girl. And on
that subject why was it that the smartest people mostly
missed that point? By nature all people are of both sexes.
So that marriage and the bed is not all by any means. The
proof? Real youth and old age. Because often old men's
voices grow high and reedy and they take on a mincing
walk. And old women sometimes grow fat and their voices
get rough and deep and they grow dark little mustaches.
And he even proved it himself-the part of him that
sometimes almost wished he was a mother and that Mick
and Baby were his kids."
NEAR the ending...
"The black, starlit sky seemed close to the earth. He
strolled along the sidewalk, pausing once to knock an
orange peel into the gutter with the side of his foot. At
the far end of the next block two men, small from the
distance and motionless, stood arm and arm together. No
one else could be seen. His place was the only store on
all the street with an open door and lights inside.
"And why? What was the reason for keeping the place
open all through the night when every other cafe in the
town was closed? He was often asked that question and
could never speak the answer out in words. Not
money.Sometimes a party would come for beer and
scrambled eggs and spend five or ten dollars. But that
was rare. Mostly they came one at a time and ordered
little and stayed long. And on some nights, between the
hours of twelve and five o'clock, not a customer would
enter. There was no profit in it-that was plain.
"But he would never close up for the night-not as long as
he stayed in the business. Night was the time. There
were those he would never have seen otherwise. A few
came regularly several times a week. Others had come
into the place only once, had drunk a Coco-Cola, and
never returned.
"Biff folded hs arms across his chest and walked more
slowly. Inside the arc of the street light his shadow
showed angular and black. The peaceful silence of the
night settled in him. These were the hours for rest and
meditation. Maybe that was why he stayed downstairs
and did not sleep. With a quick glance he scanned the
empty street and went inside."
I believe we are shown how Biff isn't exactly a perv...but
he has feelings for the children and it is a maternal
feeling...this twists how we first see Biff's feelings for
Baby and Mick.
Then as he thinks about the cafe open all night I think we
see somethign else. He understands that the heart is a
lonely hunter and he is in a way...if Singer is "god" then
Biff is a "shephard" a caretaker...his cafe becomes the
"church".
We also learn that he still puzzles over WHO Singer was
and this is a riddle for him. And we also find out that he
was a kid of shephard for Singer in that he paid for the
funeral.
the ending...
"The silence in the room was deep as the night itself. Biff
stood transfixed, lost in his meditations. Then suddenly
he felt a quickening in him. His heart turned and he
leaned his back against the counter for support. For in a
swift radiance of illumination he saw a glimpse of human
struggle and valor. Of the endless fluid passage of
humanity through endless time. And of those who labor
and of those who-one word-love. His soul expanded. But
for a moment only. For in him he felt a warning, a shaft of
terror. Between the two worlds he was suspended. He
saw that he was looking at his own face in the counter
glass before him. Sweat glistened on his temples and his
face was contorted. One eye was opened wider than the
other. The left eye delved narrowly into the past while the
right gazed wide and affrighted into a future of blackness,
error and ruin. And he was suspended between radiance
and darkness. Between bitter irony and faith. Sharply he
looked away.
'Louis!' he called. 'Louis!Louis!'
"Again there was no answer. But, motherofgod, was he a
sensible man or was he not? And how could this terro
throttle him like this when he didn't even know what
caused it? And would he just stand here like a jittery
ninny or would he pull himself together and be
reasonable? For after all WAS he a sensible man or was
he not? Biff wet his handkerchief beneath the water tap
and patted down his drawn, tense face. Somehow he
remembered that the awning had not yet been raised. As
he went to the door his walk ganed steadiness. And
when at last he was inside again he composed himself
soberly to await the morning sun."
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (31 of
33), Read 18 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Wednesday, May 08, 2002 04:19 PM
Beej, perhaps "hero" wasn't an apt noun for Biff...but
what about anti-hero?
I see him as a compassionate human and he seems to
have some will to action, even if its only that he has a
community spot for people to "hunt" for their hearts in the
dark, lonely hours...
????
Candy
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (32 of
33), Read 16 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Candy Minx candyminx@hotmail.com
Date:
Wednesday, May 08, 2002 04:22 PM
I am not sur if I have the energy to pull out Madame
Bovary and find the end passages that describe Charles
Bovary. But what comes to mind is the word "sensible". I
remember in the thread about Madame Bovary that many
readers thought Emma a "ninny" and Charles
"sensible"...read boring.
"Instead you are encountering an abstraction of the real
world, of the kind you would find in traditional literature
where invention triumphs over realism." Jim Crace
Topic:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER--McCULLERS (33 of
33), Read 15 times
Conf:
Constant Reader
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Wednesday, May 08, 2002 07:52 PM
Candy, re: Charles Bovary and Biff. Yes, I see what you're
saying! They were both a 'quiet hub,' so to speak. The
action went on around them, yet they were both helpless
to do anything about any of it. Yes. Thanks.
Those passages you quoted are so exquisite. To think,
McCullers was merely 22 years old when she wrote them.
I think a lot of the melding of genders within the character
of Biff, had much, much to do with the fact that as
McCullers was writing this book, she was also discovering
her own bisexuality..she believed all humans were not
purely one gender or another, but a true and, to her way
of thinking, more honest combination of the two.
Beej
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