Exploring The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter From The Perspective Of Trauma Theory

Carson McCullers (1917-1967) is a famous writer of the American South. A keen observer of social changes of the South after the Civil War, she develops various themes in her works, including racism, feminism, labor movement and homosexuality, but the consistent thematic content of McCullers’ works:isolation and inevitable loneliness of individuals are not excluded. In addition, "freaks" are discussed mostly frequently in her works, which is a means by which she shows characters’ spiritual deviance. Her first novel:The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a typical one to manifest her opinion.Using Trauma Theory and the method of close reading, this thesis first explores the traumatic symptoms of the characters in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, such as loneliness, communication barrier and hysteria. Then it analyses the causes for their traumatic experience, including physical, mental and social causes. Based on the above analysis, the thesis investigates the efforts made by the characters in an aim to get rid of their inner anguish and recover from the traumas, including telling and making contacts with others. But though they achieve temporary alleviation, all their efforts turn out to be in vain. The thesis comes to the conclusion:the fundamental reason for their failure to recover from their traumas and transcend loneliness is their inability to overcome social adversities, which are beyond their control. The new perspective and findings will contribute to deeper understanding of McCullers’ works.