The Burden of Loneliness: A Study of the Dominating Theme in .
Carson McCullers" "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter".
Loneliness is something that most people have experienced at one point or another in their life, and the emotional crush that comes with it is something that nobody enjoys. It is no surprise that the depressing state has been a favorite topic for authors and artists of all kinds. "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" is no exception. Of McCullers, Oliver Evans writes, "She knew it was to be a book whose central theme was loneliness and love"("Case" 188). Even the gloomy title gives away the feelings that are to be expected from reading the novel. Each of the main characters deals with being lonely in one way or another. John Singer, Jake Blount, and Dr. Copeland all suffer from a loneliness that coincides with each of their personalities.
People who spend most of their time alone are not as happy as those who spend their time around other people. In their article, "Being Alone Versus Being with People," Larson, Zuzanek, and Mannell find that people who live alone often "become drowsy, passive, tired, and bored, a lifelessness that may suggest why alcoholism and drug abuse are more common among people who live by themselves" (380). Many people have experienced what it feels like to be lonely. "In 1969, Bradburn reported that at least 25% of the U.S. population felt intensely lonely during the previous two weeks. A quarter of a century later, it is obvious that, if not more widespread, the prevalence of loneliness reaches at least similar proportions" (qtd. in Rokach and Brock 107). Long-term problems related to loneliness include "depression, anxiety, and interpersonal hostility, substance abuse, suicide, and vulnerability to health problems (Rokach 108)." Through their studies, Rokach and Brock (very importantly) noted that the best ways to deal with loneliness is by first admitting that one is in fact lonely and then talking to other people about it.
