The Use of Imagery, Literary Style, and Allusions into an Instantly Polemical and Iconoclast View of God, Religion, Life and Death in Cormac McCarthy's Novel The Road
Cormac McCarthy is a Pulitzer Prize winning American novelist and playwright, who rose to fame in the late 1980s with his novel Blood Meridian, which is widely viewed as a masterpiece of contemporary literature His works often feature themes of violence and moral ambiguity, and often focus on the bleak aspects of life.
The most common theme found in McCarthy’s works is a consideration and exploration of the nature of evil. He often deals with characters that are criminals, vigilantes or those that have experienced horrific events and circumstances in their lives. His works often include vivid descriptions of death and violence. McCarthy has said that his characters are “involved in a conflict between human nature and the moral order” and that his work is “concerned primarily with the relationship of individuals to the moral forces of the universe”.
The most famous example of this is McCarthy’s novel, Blood Meridian, which follows a violent, traveling band of criminals and outlaws in the Texas-Mexico borderlands of the 1840s. The novel is considered to be his masterwork, and is a powerful exploration of power, violence and the often-frightening nature of human nature.
The five best examples of McCarthy’s exploration of the nature of evil are:
1. The Road (2006): This post-apocalyptic novel tells the story of a father and son, as they attempt to survive in a world that has been destroyed by a global catastrophe. The novel is a grim look at how humans respond to violence and disaster.
2. No Country for Old Men (2005): Adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie, this novel takes a harsh look at the consequences of greed and violence, and the power of fate.
3. All the Pretty Horses (1992): This novel focuses on the life of a teenage cowboy, and his struggles with morality, love and loyalty as he journeys alone through the American West.
4. Outer Dark (1968): This novel follows a brother and sister as they travel through a harsh and uncaring world, in search of redemption and peace.
5. Suttree (1979): This novel tells the story of a man who has given up everything to live in the slums of Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a powerful look at the nature of poverty and despair.
Cormac McCarthy’s exploration of the nature of evil is a powerful and often unsettling thread throughout his works. His stories tell of how violence and power can corrupt, how hope and humanity can be crushed, and how the quest for redemption is often an illusion. McCarthy’s works show us how power and fate can shape our lives and our choices, and how we must ultimately be responsible for our own actions.