The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Summary | Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

As the story begins, we are introduced to two friends. Spiros Antonapoulous is an overweight Greek with a round face and dreamy eyes. He always seems to wear a stupid smile. The other man is John Singer, a tall man with an intelligent face. He always dresses conservatively and is very clean and neat. They are opposites in every way except they are both mute.

The Greek man works for his cousin in a fruit store, and his job is to uncrate the fruit and make candy. Singer works as a silverware engraver. Each morning they leave their boardinghouse and walk to their jobs together. They are only apart when they are at work. They live together, and Spiro does all the cooking while Singer cleans. This arrangement has lasted for ten years.

Their friendship and living arrangement continues until Spiro gets sick. Singer nurses him back to health in a week, but he isn't the same after that. He begins to exhibit erratic behavior, such as stealing restaurant silverware and urinating on buildings. Singer has a hard time with his friend's new behavior but bails him out just the same. One day, Spiro's cousin tells Singer that he has admitted his Greek friend to an insane asylum. He will leave immediately. John has no way to fight this decision, and he tells his friend goodbye. He tries to make a new life, which seems much quieter now that Spiro is gone.