The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

In The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, communication is an important symbol of well-being. John can’t deeply communicate with anyone who doesn’t know sign language, so the absence of Spiros in his life cuts him off from the lifeline of communication. Without Spiros, John has no one with whom he can share his life and express himself. Communication requires an interlocutor, but John has no one to reciprocate his form of communication. This drives him to a loneliness so deep it becomes depression. Mick has her own form of communication in music, but she struggles to write down her music, yet another example of the difficult but important process of communication. It is difficult for the characters to communicate eloquently or fully—all characters in this novel struggle saying what they truly mean. This conflict is indicative of the conflict between interior and exterior identities. Healthy communication between one’s internal and external lives helps develop meaningful communication with others. Communication therefore lies at the heart of loneliness—both external isolation and internal solitude.

Music is a symbol of inner peace. While most characters feel tortured by their loneliness, Mick finds comfort in the way music soothes her worries. Mick is lonely because she is alone with her music, but music helps Mick cope with the difficulties of her life.