“Life is worthwhile, because it is full of dreams and peace, kindness and ecstasy, and faith that burns like a clear white flame on a dark dark altar.” Thus begins the correspondence of Nathaniel West's story, Miss Lonelyhearts (1933). West's work was not only a reaction to the national problems of the Great Depression but to the personal problems it engendered, and not only for the general public but also for himself. West brought to his writings an element of modesty that characterized both the economic and emotional depression that the Crash of 1929 had engendered among many people in the nation during the 1930s. In less than sixty pages, West formulates a clear critique of the personal and national lives of American citizens in the early twentieth century. 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 throwing the stone only at those outside himself, West is wont to use the literary figure both as a setting for the turmoil of someone affected by such shortcomings and as a vehicle for personal desire, destruction, or change. The power of West's tale lies in its simple depiction of humanity's personal struggle and decidedly complex depiction of humanity's social struggle. While personal problems in the Western world can be comforted simply by a careful wordsmith, not even the most concerned citizen can alleviate the problems generated by society alone. West uses depth of imagery and strong relationships between characters to illustrate the suffering caused by dependence on a society that lacks beauty at all times. West's main character, a journalist who writes an advice column and... half of a newspaper. .....nardo, Rita. “The Storyteller, the Novelist, and the Advice Columnist: Fiction and Mass Culture in “Miss Lonelyhearts”” NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction 27.1 (1993): 40-61. Print.Hanlon, Robert M. "The Parody of the Sacred in Nathanael West's Miss Lonelyhearts." The International Fiction Review (1977): 190-93. PrintLight, James F. “Miss Lonelyhearts: Nightmare Pictures.” American Quarterly 8.4 (1956): 316-27. Print.Lynch, Richard P. "Saints and Lovers: 'Miss Lonelyhearts' in Tradition - Page 8 | Studies in Short Fiction." Find articles on BNET | News articles, back issues of magazines and reference articles on all topics. Network. December 10, 2010. .West, Nathanael and Nathanael West. Miss Lonely Hearts: It's the Day of the Locust. New York: New Directions, 2009. Print.