Loneliness, Edward Hopper

DM Loneliness :

Intro : All three documents date from the early 19th century in the USA, and each explores the theme of loneliness using different techniques. Document A is an extract from the short story "Loneliness," taken from Sherwood Anderson's collection "Winesburg, Ohio". Document B, entitled "Automat," takes the form of an oil painting by the realist painter Edward Hopper. Document C, meanwhile, is a poem titled "On Broadway" by Claude McKay, included in his anthology "Harlem Shadows." All three documents portray the loneliness lived by their protagonist.

In Document A, the author explores loneliness through the character of Enoch Robinson. A young artist, originally from the country, who moves to New York, but instead of finding a sense of community among other young artists, he finds himself lost in the big city, disconcerted by the complexities of urban life. Enoch's awkward tentative attempts to fit in illustrate his deep emotional isolation. His "long and narrow like a hallway" room, mentioned as essential to Enoch's story, creates an atmosphere of confinement and physical isolation. The extract contrasts Enoch's physical presence among his peers with his inner isolation, highlighting how loneliness persists even when surrounded. Enoch is described as lost, "How his big blue childlike eyes stared about!" His distress is palpable, as he feels limited like a child in the adult world. This passage highlights how loneliness can be a source of suffering in a challenging urban environment, where the desire for social connection meets the inability to communicate and isolation.

Social isolation in large American metropolises is also depicted in the painting in document B. The artist depicts a young woman in an American cafe, an automat: where food was accessed via machines. The painting's title draws a parallel between the automated place and the young woman, who appears mechanical with her empty expression and robotic movements. The cold atmosphere, accentuated by the colors and neon lighting, reinforces the woman's sense of isolation. She is at the center of the painting, alone in the coffee shop, absorbed in her thoughts, disconnected from the outside world. The absence of the young woman's reflection in the shop window behind her more generally suggests the loneliness of American city-dwellers in the 1920s.

Analyse linéaire du poème :

About me young careless feet

The "careless feet" are a metaphor for the youth and carefreeness of those walking down the Broadway street.

Linger along the garish(1) street;

The personification of the street as "garish" reinforces the idea of its constant agitation.

Above, a hundred shouting signs

The visual imagery express the abundance of attention-grabbing illuminated signs in the urban landscape.

Shed down their bright fantastic glow

Upon the merry crowd and lines

Of moving carriages below.

Oh wonderful is Broadway - only

My heart, my heart is lonely.

Desire naked, linked with Passion,

Goes strutting(2) by in brazen(3) fashion;

From playhouse, cabaret and inn

The rainbow lights of Broadway blaze

All gay without, all glad within;

As in a dream I stand and gaze

At Broadway, shining Broadway - only

My heart, my heart is lonely.

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