Nathaniel Wests Miss Lonelyhearts Essay -- Literary Analysis

Life is worth while, for it is full of dreams and peace, effeminateness and ecstasy, and faith that burns like a clear white blaze up on a grim dark altar. So begins the correspondence of the novella of Nathaniel westside, cast off Lonelyhearts (1933). Wests work was not only if a reaction to the internal problems of the Great Depression but to the in-person problems generated by the it, and not only for the general public but for himself also. West brought an element of the demure into his report that characterized both the economic and emotional depression that the 1929 crash had generated among many race in the nation throughout the 1930s. In fewer than sixty pages, West forms a clear critique of both the personal and national lives of American citizens of the early nineteen hundreds. From a clear disregard for the well-being of others to a lack of respect for the world itself, West clearly qualifies the shortcomings of those individuals. Far from totally casting the sto ne at those outside of himself, West is wont to call the literary figure as both a setting for the upheaval of someone affected by such shortcomings and the vehicle for personal desire, destruction, or change. The power of Wests novella lies in its simple depiction of the personal pare of humanity and decidedly complex representation of humanitys societal struggle. While personal problems in wests world can be comforted simply by the careful wordsmith, not even the most concerned citizen may free the problems generated by society alone. West uses a depth of imagery and grueling character relationships to illustrate the suffering caused by dependence on a society which lacks beauty at every turn.Wests leading character, a newsman who writes an advice column and t... ...nard, Rita. The Storyteller, the Novelist, and the Advice Columnist Narrative and Mass Culture in Miss LonelyheartsNOVEL A Forum on Fiction27.1 (1993) 40-61. Print. Hanlon, Robert M. The Parody of the holy in Nathanael Wests Miss Lonelyhearts.The International Fiction Review(1977) 190-93. Print Light, pile F. Miss Lonelyhearts The Imagery of Nightmare.American Quarterly8.4 (1956) 316-27. Print. Lynch, Richard P. Saints and Lovers Miss Lonelyhearts in the Tradition - page 8 Studies in Short Fiction.Find Articles at BNET News Articles, powder store Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. . West, Nathanael, and Nathanael West.Miss Lonelyhearts & the solar day of the Locust. New York New Directions, 2009. Print.