Post your final discussion questions on the novel below. Try to ask about something that requires you to have read the book in its entirety to answer (in other words, a possible essay question).
Was Singer's existence a forestalling of what was to eventually befall the other characters, or was it a pivotal encounter that the others had to have in order to be where they are at the end of the novel?
What was the significance of Singer's presence, in that, in relation to the other characters, how did his mere existence provide the stability experienced in their lives? What was the importance in the fact that this love was not reciprocated?
Biff, Mick, Jake, and Dr. Copeland all confided in Singer and imposed their philosophies onto him. When Antanopolous, Singer's confidant, died, Singer crumpled and killed himself. Shortly after, Mick relinquishes her passion for music for a job, Copeland and Jake leave town, and Biff is left more alone than ever. Does the fact that these characters all crumple after Singer's death show that communication is vital to one's success?
How/Why do the other 4 characters worship Singer as some sort of God and why is Antanopolous and Singer's relationship so pivotal in extinguishing Singer's godly status?
Singer decides to kill himself after finding out about Antanapolous' death, does that make Singer more hopeless than other characters because he is unable to deal with the loss of a dream and therefore causes his own destruction?
What do Biff's visions at the end of the book say about the past and the future, and how does this apply to Mick, Copeland, Blount, Singer, and himself? What does this reveal about humanity?
Throughout this entire novel, Singer is treated as a God like figure, in which other characters use him to fill with their thoughts and feelings. He essentially becomes what every other character wants him to become. Since he cannot speak, he doesn't do much to break this illusion most characters have of him. However, at the end, Singer does an action that goes against what all the other characters see in him. How do the characters respond to this breaking of the illusion of John Singer?
Most of the characters in the novel have some event that changes their life dramatically. Mick fears people can tell she's had sex, but they can't. This brings up an interesting question: can we as readers tell the difference between Mick before and after this encounter, between Biff before and after Alice's death (or Baby's getting shot), etc. based on the style of writing within the chapters?
Barring Singer, we get to see into the inner room of the character focalized in each chapter. Mick realizes that having had sex doesn't change what most people see, her outer room, but does it change what's in her inner room?
[this is effectively the same question posed twice]
Using the characters of the novel, can there be proved any possibility of a relationship without loneliness? Will everyone be eventually forced to forgo their dreams?
After seeing that Antonopolous is dead, Singer shoots himself. Jake, Mick, Dr. Copeland go through their own devastating experiences after hearing about Singer's death. Keeping this in mind, compare and contrast the roles of Singer and his four disciples.
Was Singer's existence a forestalling of what was to eventually befall the other characters, or was it a pivotal encounter that the others had to have in order to be where they are at the end of the novel?
ReplyDelete--Jesse
What was the significance of Singer's presence, in that, in relation to the other characters, how did his mere existence provide the stability experienced in their lives? What was the importance in the fact that this love was not reciprocated?
ReplyDeleteBiff, Mick, Jake, and Dr. Copeland all confided in Singer and imposed their philosophies onto him. When Antanopolous, Singer's confidant, died, Singer crumpled and killed himself. Shortly after, Mick relinquishes her passion for music for a job, Copeland and Jake leave town, and Biff is left more alone than ever. Does the fact that these characters all crumple after Singer's death show that communication is vital to one's success?
ReplyDeleteHow/Why do the other 4 characters worship Singer as some sort of God and why is Antanopolous and Singer's relationship so pivotal in extinguishing Singer's godly status?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the importance and meaning of the title The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the importance of Singer's death? How do the characters change once he dies?
ReplyDeleteSinger decides to kill himself after finding out about Antanapolous' death, does that make Singer more hopeless than other characters because he is unable to deal with the loss of a dream and therefore causes his own destruction?
ReplyDeleteWhat do Biff's visions at the end of the book say about the past and the future, and how does this apply to Mick, Copeland, Blount, Singer, and himself? What does this reveal about humanity?
ReplyDelete-Fanny
Throughout this entire novel, Singer is treated as a God like figure, in which other characters use him to fill with their thoughts and feelings. He essentially becomes what every other character wants him to become. Since he cannot speak, he doesn't do much to break this illusion most characters have of him. However, at the end, Singer does an action that goes against what all the other characters see in him. How do the characters respond to this breaking of the illusion of John Singer?
ReplyDeleteMost of the characters in the novel have some event that changes their life dramatically. Mick fears people can tell she's had sex, but they can't.
ReplyDeleteThis brings up an interesting question: can we as readers tell the difference between Mick before and after this encounter, between Biff before and after Alice's death (or Baby's getting shot), etc. based on the style of writing within the chapters?
Barring Singer, we get to see into the inner room of the character focalized in each chapter. Mick realizes that having had sex doesn't change what most people see, her outer room, but does it change what's in her inner room?
[this is effectively the same question posed twice]
In what ways does the novel relate to previous Russian novels we have read?
ReplyDeleteHow does Singe resemble characters of these stories?
Using the characters of the novel, can there be proved any possibility of a relationship without loneliness? Will everyone be eventually forced to forgo their dreams?
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing that Antonopolous is dead, Singer shoots himself. Jake, Mick, Dr. Copeland go through their own devastating experiences after hearing about Singer's death. Keeping this in mind, compare and contrast the roles of Singer and his four disciples.
ReplyDelete