McCarthy is an interesting figure who isolates himself from the public eye and has refused the majority of interviews and spotlights offered to him. He writes his novels on the same old typewriter he's always used, telling compelling stories that make his readers think about human interaction with nature and one another. His parataxis narration style invites interpretation without the pressures of his own opinions. The way his narration and subject matter interact leaves the reader to draw many conclusions regarding the question of free will and definition of morals that guide each of his characters. In my analysis I focus on the binary relationships between the most prominent of McCarthy's characters across three of his novels. Specifically I explore the character development of Anton Chigurh and Llewelyn Moss in No Country For Old Men, The Kid and the Judge in Blood Meridian, and John Grady Cole’s discussions with Duena Alfonsa in All the Pretty Horses. While the reader struggles to assign typical roles to each character presented, McCarthy continuously challenges assumptions in how differing opinions and perspectives are portrayed. That is, McCarthy purposefully doesn't prescribe any character's actions as "good" or "bad" so much as he tries to define the action as factually and simply as possible. The action only takes on meaning depending on the character's perception. Of course the beauty of McCarthy's writing style is that this method draws the reader's perceptions into the story as well, making it difficult or impossible to separate oneself from the characters. I was invited to present this paper at the Northwest Undergraduate Conference in the Humanities 2019 and it has received academic praise. You can read my analysis here.
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Crystal CarneyAs I engage with material, whether reading, writing, or revising, I strive for clarity and immersion. Archives
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