The Heart is a Social Hunter: The Role of Communication and Deafness in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Abstract

There is limited literary criticism available on the subject of deaf characters in literature. This thesis employs literary criticism on topics such as loneliness and social isolation as a result of deafness, in order to shed light on the 1940 novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It examines the different communicative methods possessed by the protagonist and the way he uses them. A distinction is made between passive communication, in this case speechreading, and active communication, i.e. American Sign Language, writing and speaking. The communicative methods given to the deaf character by McCullers and his refusal to employ them are the reasons that he remains isolated from the hearing community. With regard to passive communication, it is concluded that despite the fact that the protagonist is an advanced speechreader, his level of understanding what is said to him is much lower than it seems. Regarding active communication, the following conclusions are drawn. The protagonist is proficient in sign language but does not to employ it. He limits his use of writing as a way of communication to asking questions and making statements, but refuses to utilize it for emotional communication. As for speaking, he displays aversion towards verbal communication and avoids using this ability. Through his means of communication, he has the chance to end his isolation but he chooses not to, or is unable to. This furthers and extends the social isolation he experiences, ultimately leading to his suicide. The second part of this thesis examines how the same communicative methods could be used to achieve the opposite result in creative writing.