Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
English
Date of Award
8-2003
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Theresa A. Lloyd
Committee Members
Kevin E. O'Donnell, Michael A. Cody
Abstract
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter thrust Carson McCullers onto the literary scene at the age of 23. The year was 1940, and anticapitalistic fervor was at its peak. McCullers, familiar with the writings of Karl Marx, expresses in this novel her concern for the exploited classes, her disdain for a materialistic society that keeps the masses oppressed, and her conviction that societal reform was desperately needed. Marxist theory is evident in every aspect of this novel, from the characters to the setting. Alienation, failure to communicate, poverty, and an atmosphere of despair permeate the work. A product of the Great Depression era, McCullers was familiar with poverty; like many other intellectuals of the time, she embraced Marxism for its commitment to rid the world of this evil. This novel, arguably her finest, displays the influence that Marxist philosophy had on McCullers’s perception of society.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Reece, Stacey, "Hopelessness and Despair: Alienation and Oppression in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers." (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 791. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/791
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.