The Ballad Of Heart-Hunters

Carson McCullers is one of the most prominent writers in American Literature. In her short life, she wrote five novels, two plays, twenty short stories and many essays and verses. Among these, The Ballad of Sad Cafe, The Member of the Wedding and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter are very famous. Though she moved from the South early, most of her writing was inspired by her Southern heritage. Her works show her love for the South as well as human kind.Entering the twentieth century, under the impact of industrialization and modern civilization, the South underwent a thorough change in every field. Commercialism was of first importance. A new set of values replaced the old one. Human connections became materialized. People felt lonely and helpless. They were haunted by spiritual isolation and loneliness.Because of her own tragic experience, McCullers was sensitive to it. This theme foreshadowed nearly everything she wrote. She depicted characters of lower classes and shaped them into physically or spiritually deformed. By means of grotesque, symbolization and juxtaposition of the tragic with the humorous, McCullers revealed the reality that people have difficulties communicating with and understanding one another. She also explained the riddle of isolation. It can be the result of modern civilization, racial discrimination and loss of love. In McCullers's writing, love is no longer an omnipotent force. On the contrary, she depicted love as a paradox of gentleness and cruelty. It cannot help people to shake off their isolation.But when revealing this moral crisis, McCullers seemed to be pessimistic. Maybe she described it in extremes so as to arouse attention from readers as well as the society. The main aim of her novels is to break down the isolation, approach uniting, revive the loving heart and reconstruct communication.By analyzing the history of the South and McCullers's three important novels, this article mainly discusses the reasons for people's isolation and McCullers's contributions.iChapter I is a brief introduction to McCullers's life, her works and her status in American Literature. Chapter II analyzes McCullers's three important novels and discusses the theme in them. Chapter III exposes the riddle of isolation and loneliness. Chapter IV explores McCullers's unique writing skills and its function in theme revelation. It also includes a brief conclusion, which attempts to suggest McCullers's contribution to human kind.