Abstract:Carson McCullers is a famous female writer in America. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is one of Carson McCuller’s representative works famous for the description of human loneliness. The ultimate human loneliness presented by the main characters in this novel is identical with the Existentialism theory of Jean-Paul Sartre. This paper, based on Sartre’s Existentialism, reveals the true state of human existence through these characters’ understanding of human absolute loneliness and the meaning of existence. The true state of human existence means that the world is absurd, and human beings are in loneliness; people can never reach the true understanding with others, but people can choose freely in their fate.

Key words: existentialism; absurdity of the world; alienation of the individuals; free choice

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Carson McCullers and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter -1

1.2  Literature Review-2

2. Sartre’s Existentialism-4

2.1 The Development of Existentialism-4

2.2  Sartre’s Views of Existentialism-4

3. Sartre’s Existentialism Reflected in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter -5

3.1 The Absurdity of the World-6

3.2 The Alienation of the Individuals-7

3.3 The Anxiety of the Individuals-9

3.4 Freedom of Choice-13

4. Conclusion-18

References-20