Why does Carson McCullers use the term malady to describe American loneliness?

Why does Carson McCullers use the term malady to describe American loneliness?

  1. to illustrate that Americans are nonconformists and, therefore, suffer from loneliness
  2. to highlight that those Americans who are lonely are ignorant of positive American features
  3. to compare loneliness to an undesirable illness or disease that is difficult to cure
  4. to suggest Americans feel loneliness as a positive emotion that aids development
  5. to show that Europeans, unlike Americans, have cured rampant loneliness