Desire, Nomadism, and Becoming in Carson McCullers’ The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of English Language, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of English Language and Literature, Malayaer University, Malayer, Hamadan, Iran

3 Department of English Language and Literature, Malayer University, Malayer, Hamadan, Iran

Abstract

Carson McCullers The Heart is a Lonely Hunter has been characterized so far as depicting characters who are trapped in American south and display isolation and alienation. Presumably, her characters include tomboys, false revolutionaries, and outcasts with eccentric worldviews. However, a deep-down analysis of the characters in the novel along with a tinge of skepticism toward McCullers’ previous criticism makes it clear that her characters in this novel can be examined through new perspectives. Through a new reading of McCullers’ characters, it is argued in this article that McCullers’ characters are more or less sites of vitalities as well as new possibilities and this can be made through Gilles Deleuze’s philosophy and his concepts including becoming, desire, and nomadism. This new reading to unravel some overlooked aspects of McCullers first novel and entails that instead of considering McCullers characters including, Mick Kelly, Jake Blount, and Dr. Copeland as social outcasts, we may deem them as nomads who offer new possibilities of desire to bring some change to their societies and finally set foot on the road toward becoming.

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