Music in The Heart is a lonely hunter - Essay Example

Music in ‘The Heart is a lonely hunter’ Music has a predominant role in Carson McCuller’s popular novel; The Heart is a lonely hunter. The sad of music can be heard throughout the novel which describes the sufferings of one of the pivotal characters, Mick Kelly, who has within her the unquenchable thirst and passion for music. Her greatest desire is to explore the unconquerable realms of music, for which she is willing to undergo any kind of sufferings. Reading through the novel, readers can identify the characteristic traits of Mick observe that she is not self eccentric for she painfully leaves her music lessons for supporting her family in pathetic conditions. Regarding the theme of the novel, McCullers has commented that she had in her mind the Southerners when writing the novel and the southerners are more anguished. (Virginia Spencer Carr, 2005). It is the spiritual estrangement and the loneliness of the southerners that she sketched through the characters of Mick and John Singer. Like the character of Mick, John Singer’s character also attracts the attention of the readers and one can feel the resemblance in their characteristics appear in the novel. Reading through the novel, one can see the vital role of music that dominates from the beginning to the end—especially through Mick Kelly’s infatuation to music, which has direct connotations to the author who had wished to be a popular pianist, but could not achieve the aim. Virginia (2005) rightly enlists the character of Mick Kelly when she remarks “Mick Kelly, a tomboyish adolescent who shuts out the real world with music and dreams of fame and distant lands” (Virginia Spencer Carr, 2005). Reading through the novel, one can realize that McCuller has portrayed her characters as appealing sympathy of the readers and they are really the prototype figures representing the author herself. Especially, the character of Mick has a clear connotation with the author’ personal life where she herself was much interested and wished to be proficient in playing piano. To an extent, one can infer that Mick is the true representative of McCuller who had to leave the greatest desire of her life half way. As McCuller started her musical lessons at the age of six, she makes her character Mick also to begin her musical lessons at an early stage of life. While analyzing the personal life of the author, it is understandable that some fatal diseases drove her away from fulfilling her driving passion to become a concert pianist. But regarding Mick, it is the poor state of her family that stands on her way from leading her to the vast and impassioned realms of music. Being haunted with diseases, McCuller was forced to seek other fields, such as writing dramas, casting, directing and producing them. Actually, it was a submission to her fate and the same submissive nature is expressive in Mick’s character and she could not really bear up the prospect of losing her musical lessons. The ascendancy of music is evident in the story line of the novel where the characters listening to and playing source music in different occasions. One of the instances is the narration of Mick when describing the symphony to Mr. Singer in words and gestures. In one of the instances McCullers colorfully draws the involuntary movement of Mick, attracted with the reference of Beethoven’s symphony. It is one of the passionate scenes in which Mick indulges herself in the radio announcer’s words about the great musician. Even the very minute movements of Mick call for the author’s attention and she writes, “Mick raised her head and her fist went up to her throat” (McCullers, 2004 p.112). This scene also reminds the reader of Mick’s fondness and care when listening to music. Music could create a kind of psychic effect on Mick that she never wished to lend her ears to other programs telecasted in the radio. “Another program came on the radio and she put her fingers in her ears” (McCullers, 2004 p.119). Listening to music would cause for a fit in her and it often left only this bad hurt in her, and a blankness.’ Her suppressed emotions and desires would torment her and it often came out like torturing herself. After this frenzied behavior, she would calm herself by whispering prayers, ‘Lord forgiveth me, for I knoweth not what I do’ (McCullers, 2004 p.119). All these scenes enable readers to have a clear awareness about Mick’s compassion to music and her restrained feelings. Going through the writings of Carson McCullers, one can see that they are dealing with conflict, frustration, grief, pain, and fear. A kind of spiritual isolation is notable in her writings and the character of Mick proves it aright. This novel is especially notable for the autobiographical elements of the author where she allows the readers to have a glimpse over her personal life. The personal stress of the author, when she was forced to undertake a career that does not suit to her desire, remained in her like nightmarish dream. The author felt an adolescent loss, loss of her circle of musical friends and the special parental treatment and support. Mick’s attempt to build a new violin also proves her likeness for music and her failure makes one remember of her poorest state. It is this greatest ambition that leads her to the creation of ukulele, stringing it with a patchwork of strings from various other instruments. Mick is tormented when realizing the fact that her creation will not resemble a violin, and she tragically realizes that her poverty will always be a hindrance in her dreams. This tragic realization that later leads her to work in Woolsworth’s to help support of her family. She has well understood that she cannot preach music anymore and her study of musical lessons from the girl should be abandoned. A clear connotation with the real life of the author can be found out in this section, whereby Carson McCullers is forced to abandon her greatest ambition of becoming a pianist and selecting the profession of a writer. By joining the dime store job without completing her school, Mick passively submits her will and one feels that Mick, once a fascinating, bright youngster, will grow up an unhappy, neurotic woman (Caboodles, 2005). It is this incident that mainly causes for bringing early maturity to Mick. Mick’s story also makes the readers analyze other characters and they can identify the emptiness and failure in their lives. The other characters in the novel are also facing different problems and their poor states not allowing them to help and support others in their worst conditions. Jake Blount, the political radical, is worried over his helplessness to relieve the poverty he sees around him. Another confrontation is with the black doctor, Benedict Copeland, who could not attain his object of racial reform. Biff Brannon is the other character who shares the music of sadness with Mick, after the death of his wife. Analyzing the different characters in the novel it is well evident that almost all the characters are dominated by a fixed set of ideas and it prevents them from properly communicating with others. They have realized that they are doomed to solitude, and, out of their frustration, they tend to make antisocial gestures that compound their isolation (Caboodle, 2005). According to Virginia Spencer Carr (2005) “Had McCullers not had a strong background in musical theory, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter would have been a very different work” (p.17). Regarding the theme of the novel, McCullers has commented that it is the story of “five isolated, lonely people in their search of expression and spiritual integration with something greater than themselves” (Virginia Spencer Carr, 2005 p. 17). The novel is a different attempt, thematically also. As the author herself wished to call her novel as a piece of music, “she viewed the novel’s intricate, three-part structure as a fugue.” It is a novel that announces the broad theme of “man’s revolt against his own inner isolation and his urge to express himself as fully as possible” (Virginia Spencer Carr, 2005 p. 18). The second part of the novel is notable for using contrapuntal techniques as McCullers developed the anguished searches of Singer’s companions. Virginia Spencer Carr observes, “This section demonstrates that the inevitable failure of each person is brought on by a combination of free will and environmental entrapment” (Virginia Spencer Carr, 2005 p. 19). To conclude, one can infer that music has a decisive role in the novel and it one way or the other affects the character development. Though the direct impact of music is not so expressive in other characters, it is crystal clear with Mick Kelly, who keeps a passionate heart for music. The absence of music sometimes causes fits in her and the same leads to a kind of self torture. Going through the character of Mick, one can see that she is a teenager who was forcibly taken away from the field of music due to difficult circumstances, like McCuller. After the completion of reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, one can cite many occasions or incidents that have a clear resemblance with the author’s life, thus affirming it as an autobiographical novel. The tender heart feelings of the novelist towards the weaker section have been well expressed in the novel and one can feel the sad note of music while reading through it. Hence, it proves the writer’s comment that the novel itself is a piece of music which can be enjoyed as enjoying sweet music. Works Cited: 1. Virginia Spencer Carr (2005) Understanding Carson McCullers , University of South Carolina Press. 2. McCullers, Carson (2004) The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Mariner books Book 4 of Oprahs Book Club Series, illustrated, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, (page. 112). 3. Caboodles Book Club in a Bag (2005) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers, Author Biography from http://www.library.pima.gov/books/caboodle/guides/mccullers-heart-bio.pdf Read More