Loneliness

0081101082 陆丽洁

For quite a long time, I have believed every confidence in the power of love, no matter in friends, family members or lovers. We are being told that nothing could defeat love in the world all time. However, not until I read the novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, written by Carson McCullers that have I changed my opinion.

It’s commonly regarded as the first novel by Carson McCullers at the age of

23. It’s hard to believe that such a young lady should have this kind of hopeless loneliness. The novel tells a story about John Singer, a deaf mute, and people he met with in a southern town. Although it was quiet and calm in the small town, everyone seemed to be suffering from solitary, confusion, depression and eager for understanding, connection and love. Compared to them, Singer was seemingly the most satisfied and happiest man at the very first beginning. Unlikely, after he heard the news that his friend and companion was dead, he couldn’t stand anymore and finally ended up his life with a gun. The whole town fell into the endless loneliness then.

Loneliness is the theme of the novel and what McCullers wanted to express. It is represented here in different kinds of forms.

Mick Kelly, a girl with the great talent for music, was stunted by cruel reality in her life. She was uncertain about anything but music. With few communications with her family, she was always wandering aimlessly in her own inner world. When she found out the magic of rhythms and lyrics ,Mick burst out tears and couldn’t help hitting herself. However, the reality was fond of making jokes on her. She got lost in intense solitude because she did have dreams but sought no way to realize them. Her loneliness came from the depression when ideals died out gradually in realistic and difficult life.

Jake Blount, an alcoholic worker believing in communism, had great suspicion for the capitalist world system and hoped to change the disappointing world. He read a lot of books and had been to various places. Abundant knowledge he acquired, he didn’t know how to change ideas and beliefs of anyone. People referred him just as drunkard and clown. That’s why he always felt lonesome.

Benedict Copeland, a professional African-American doctor, desperately expected his children to be the leaders to alter black people’s destiny. Contradict to his aspiration, his children, together with his wife, hoped to live a common but peaceful life. They didn’t like to be involved in so-called national dignity affairs. He endured the frustrating solitary because of losing hope for his aspiration.

They were lonely with no one sharing their loneliness. Each of them was eager to be listened to and understood as well as in hope of finding the same voice. However, people are so different from each other that how hard it will be to have your comrade. Besides, it takes risks to communicate with others in some degree. You will never know whether the person is willing to share your thoughts and whether he understands you or not. It may be shamed and frustrated that when you open heart to someone he just says “Oh, I am sorry, but in fact I can’t make it out.”

As a result, Singer became the only person that could save them from the loneliness. As a mute who was unable to talk to people freely and normally like others did, he spent most of his time listening and understanding but seldom replied. For this reason, he was regarded as the perfect listener and secret-keeper. He seemed to never argue about anything and be prepared to give advice and comfort at next second. When these poor people got strongly absorbed in depression and sense of alienation, they would like to visit Singer and stayed in his shabby room, keeping talking. They trusted to communicate with him and found themselves inner peace there. Perhaps it is the biggest irony that people can

only communicate with someone who loses the ability of speech. Therefore, Mick thought she found the one that could listen to music with her; Jake considered that he sought out the Irish Singer that could share communism concept together; finally the doctor held that he had someone bear racial discrimination as well. They thought of speechless Singer as the ideal listener in their heart. In other words, they just found a space where they could talk to themselves.

As for Singer, the listener for most of people, he had his own loneliness. He loved Antonapoulos so deeply that he gave out all of his valuable things definitely, unselfishly and somewhat aimlessly. He used to be happy and free from sadness when Antonapoulos stayed with him. Even when Antonapoulos was addicted to stealing and making trouble, Singer was willing to solve these problems and never felt upset. Everything would be ok as long as they could stay with each other. However, it was when Antonapoulos was sent to madhouse that Singer began to fall into solitude. Missing for his friend, family member as well as lover made Singer feel lonesome. Antonapoulos was the only one that lived in his heart and people confiding to him were all outside his own world. In fact, he still lived a simple and happy life because he had the expectation of seeing Antonapoulos half a year. Gradually, such kind of loneliness turned to be the main focus of his life. So when he heard the news of Antonapoulos’ death, he was totally lost. His beloved friend’s death moved away the only mainstay of his insistence and hope. The person that made him alone but could share his loneliness left forever. It didn’t release him from solitude, in contrast, but pushed him into the abyss of endless loneliness.

No one succeeded in getting out from the bottomless chasm. Mick grew up and surrendered to reality. She found the job of being an assistant in a shop in order to support her family. Jake had to leave and wander in other places after the conflict in amusement park. And the doctor was ill and forced to be sent back to his homeland. They were likely to spend their life in frustration and depression

for quite a long time. They might never find a person like Singer who could listen to theirs loneliness any more.

People are born with loneliness and no one can really save you out from it. Though Singer once possessed only pure love of his companion, he couldn’t overcome the definite loneliness since even the deepest love is unable to change the most ultimate solitude buried in human’s heart. It also reminds me of the situation in the present society. We have no idea that it is when that we become more and more lonesome. We are nearly as the same as the fire that has uncountable ideas and dreams but can only shine in darkness. Human is such a kind of mystical creature that he is eager for being understood but always neglects those that long for the same treatment. Perhaps the fact that we aspire for comprehension but refuse to lend an ear to others is the root of our loneliness. Could we tentatively get rid of the bitterness and hollow brought with loneliness if we do our utmost to listen to the lonely voices?

 

第二篇：心是孤独的猎手 读后感

The thinking ofThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

国贸1001班 周海燕 2010015141

For quite a long time, I have believed every confidence in the power of love, no matter in friends, family members or lovers. We are being told that nothing could defeat love in the world all time. However, not until I read the novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, written by Carson McCullers that have I changed my opinion.

It’s commonly regarded as the first novel by Carson McCullers at the age of 23. It’s hard to believe that such a young lady should have this kind of hopeless loneliness. The novel tells a story about John Singer, a deaf mute, and people he met with in a southern town. Although it was quiet and calm in the small town, everyone seemed to be suffering from solitary, confusion, depression and eager for understanding, connection and love. Compared to them, Singer was seemingly the most satisfied and happiest man at the beginning. Unlikely, after he heard the news that his friend and companion was dead, he couldn’t stand anymore and finally ended up his life with a gun. The whole town fell into the endless loneliness then.

I think loneliness is the theme of the novel and what McCullers wanted to express. It is represented here in different kinds of forms. It’s an attractive story.

Mick Kelly, a girl with the great talent for music, was stunted by cruel reality in her life. She was uncertain about anything but music. With few communications with her family, she was always wandering aimlessly in her own inner world. When she found out the magic of rhythms and lyrics ,Mick burst out tears and couldn’t help hitting herself. However, the reality was fond of making jokes on her. She got lost in intense

solitude because she did have dreams but sought no way to realize them. Her loneliness came from the depression when ideals died out gradually in realistic and difficult life.

Jake Blount, an alcoholic worker believing in communism, had great suspicion for the capitalist world system and hoped to change the disappointing world. He read a lot of books and had been to various places. Abundant knowledge he acquired, he didn’t know how to change ideas and beliefs of anyone. People referred him just as drunkard and clown. That’s why he always felt lonesome.

Benedict Copeland, a professional African-American doctor, desperately expected his children to be the leaders to alter black people’s destiny. Contradict to his aspiration, his children, together with his wife, hoped to live a common but peaceful life. They didn’t like to be involved in so-called national dignity affairs. He endured the frustrating solitary because of losing hope for his aspiration.

They were lonely with no one sharing their loneliness. Each of them was eager to be listened to and understood as well as in hope of finding the same voice. However, people are so different from each other. Besides, it takes risks to communicate with others in some degree. You will never know whether the person is willing to share your thoughts and whether he understands you or not. It may be shamed and frustrated that when you open heart to someone he just says “Oh, I am sorry, but in fact I can’t make it out.”

People are born with loneliness and no one can really save you out from it. Though Singer once possessed only pure love of his companion, he couldn’t

overcome the definite loneliness since even the deepest love is unable to change the most ultimate solitude buried in human’s heart. It also reminds me of the situation in the present society. We have no idea that it is when that we become more and more lonesome. We are nearly as the same as the fire that has uncountable ideas and dreams but can only shine in darkness. Human is such a kind of mystical creature that he is eager for being understood but always neglects those that long for the same treatment. Perhaps the fact that we aspire for comprehension but refuse to lend an ear to others is the root of our loneliness. Could we tentatively get rid of the bitterness and hollow brought with loneliness if we listen to the lonely voices?