The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Major Character List

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

• John Singer- a deaf-mute who makes a living engraving silver pieces in a jewelry shop.
• Mick Kelly- 14 years old; fascinated by her family's new boarder John Singer: character is somewhat autobiographic.
• Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland- an aging black doctor who was educated in the North and then returned home to the South to uplift the black community.
• Biff Brannon- The owner of the New York Café, a combination of diner and bar
• Jake Blount- prone to drinking too much at Biff Brannon's café; he often goes into a frustrated rant about socialism.
• Mr. Kelly & Mrs. Kelly- Mick’s parents. The Kellys have six children: Hazel, Bill, Etta, Mick, Bubber/George and Ralph. The Kelly family is poor and takes in boarders like John Singer to live in their house.
• Portia- Works for the Kellys; estranged daughter of Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland.
• Willie- Willie works in the kitchen at the New York Café; lives with his sister Portia and her husband Highboy.
• Highboy- Married to Portia; good-natured, polite and wears very loud outfits.
• Harry Minowitz- a few years older than Mick; lives next door to the Kellys.
• Simms- Simms is a religious fanatic who writes quotes from the Bible on brick walls around town.
• Bill Kelly- Mick’s 18 year old brother; Mick looks up to him despite the fact that he ignores her most of the time.
• George “Bubber" Kelly- Mick’s brother; a smart 7 year old who looks sick and is always attracted to pretty things.
• Spiros Antonapoulos- a deaf-mute who lives with John Singer for more than ten years.

Discussion Questions

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

1. Two key themes in the novel are isolation and loneliness. How are they
   different? How do the charcacters seek to alleviate their feelings of isolation and loneliness?
2. What can you tell immediately about Biff Brannon’s realtionship with his
   wife?
3. How would you descibe Doctor Benedict Mady Copeland? Why is he an
   Outsider in his own community?
4. Do you feel that Portia is a strong woman? If you do- why?
5. What are the many ways that religion is used throughout the novel?
6. What are the ways that music is used throughout the novel?
7. Does Jake Blount change throughout the novel? In what ways?
8. Did you find Singer’s death surprising? If so- why?
9. What is meant by Mick having an “inside room” and an “outside room”?
10. Why do you feel Singer is so devoted to his companion Spiros
    Antonapoulos? How does Antonapoulos’ going away to the asylum affect
    Singer?
11. Do you feel that time period and part of the country in which the novel
    Takes place has something to do with the way the novel ends?