In the words of Anton Checkov, "People who lead a lonely existence always have something on their minds that they are eager to talk about." Human beings have always sought to be understood, and we tend to seek out people who are willing to listen to our thoughts and learn about our perspective. In The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers demonstrates that being understood is a human struggle as human communication is limited by out need for idolization, stubbornness, and lack of empathy. In order to "do the right thing", we have to have a willingness to understand and to have conversations that allow both parties to express themselves.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a novel that centers around John Singer, the deaf-mute that many of the…show more content… Singer's visitors include the tomboy, Mick; the black doctor, Dr. Copeland; the drunkard, Jake Blount; and the quiet café owner, Biff Brannon. Each of these characters seek out Singer, because they feel as though Singer is willing to listen and understand them. In Singer, they feel that they have found a similar mind to connect with. In reality, Singer possesses few, if any, of the qualities that his visitors project onto him. Because Singer is unable to speak, his visitors to in turn project their ideologies onto him. As a result, Singer becomes an almost god-like figure that is seen as wise and understanding. Dr. Copeland sees Singer as a Jewish man, as Jews, like the black folk, were disliked and marginalized; he believes that Singer can understand his struggles and see past his skin colour. Blount sees Singer as the only other person in the world who understands the truth. And Mick sees Singer in a light of a love interest and believes that he is able to understand her passion for music as he owns a