Symbolism In Miss Lonelyhearts

Miss Lonelyhearts struggles to come to grips with his Christian faith, finding it an insufficient solution to worldly problems. Willie Shrike, his editor, always succeeds in dragging him back into a depression. Because Miss Lonelyhearts is unable to find answers, he acts out violently and loudly. He fills his existence with constant distractions and noise. He avoids his problems and tries to put order into his life superficially. After a fever forces him to be alone with his thoughts, Miss Lonelyhearts finally finds his true meaning: to be a savior, a Christ-like figure, destined to lead people to attain that same enlightenment.
His Christian faith is very prominent in his life. Miss Lonelyhearts preaches Christianity in his advice column and has a crucifix right in front of his bed. But he seems put off by it. “Christ was the answer, but if he did not want to get sick, he had to stay away from the Christ business”(West, 3). He says Christ is the answer to the world’s problems but struggles to apply the same in his own life. Miss Lonelyhearts is conflicted when he doesn’t accept Christ in his life and turns to immoralities to try to relieve his frustration at the world and its sufferings. He is a failed Christ-like figure. It starts early when he and his friends fail to sacrifice a lamb. The lamb, the purest victim, is a clear symbol for Jesus, His failure to sacrifice the lamb foreshadows his future attempts to emulate Christ. He doesn’t find the answer that he wants, that
He finds religion to not be a viable solution to the sufferings of the world. Looking to other means, he releases his frustrations, through violence and decadence, but is still left with a hollow and depressive feeling in his soul. In the end, Miss Lonelyhearts has a revelation and he is made whole again in the grace of God. He finds his true meaning in life in being a savior, a Christ figure, destined to lead the masses to the light of