The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Theme of Love

Love hurts, love scars. Nazareth may have said it best, but The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter definitely gets points for trying. Love is everywhere in this novel, but it's never very romantic. It's mostly just messy. Whether it's the love between friends, the love of family, or the love for abstract ideas, the L-word gets our characters into all kinds of trouble, leaving these folks changed forever.

Questions About Love

  1. We'll keep this one simple: Who loves whom?
  2. What kinds of love do we see in the novel? Or is there any love at all?
  3. Does Mick have romantic feelings for Harry, or could it be that her attraction to him is more a mixture of friendship, loneliness, and hormones run amuck?
  4. Does Singer love Antonapoulos? If so, how does he How does Singer express his love for Antonapoulos? What does this tell us about their relationship and about Singer?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

For Copeland, love is all about control. He shows his love by telling you what and how to think.

Mick shows true love in the novel because she is able to completely and consistently love George, even when he changes.