Cormac Mccarthy The Road Analysis

Reader Response As a reader, I appreciate Cormac McCarthy's writing style in The Road, and believe it influences the way readers perceive the characters and the post-apocalyptic nature of the setting. McCarthy's writing produces a “dreamy feel”, which reminds me of older black and white films. The staccato movements which dominated cinema screens in the earlier half of the 20th century, produced an effect usually associated with dream sequences. Also, older films were characteristically black and white, while The Road's landscape is covered with an ashy grey. Overall, the writing produces a strong disorienting effect which correlates to the protagonists who have also lost everything anchoring them to the past. Beyond the effect produced on

In my opinion, McCarthy is a gifted author and is able to pen scenes though a particularly descriptive lens. I often found myself admiring his method of constructing sentences. A scene I found particularly enthralling is a description of the boy, “The man thought he seemed some sad and solitary changeling child announcing the arrival of a travelling spectacle in shire and village who does not know that behind him the players have all been carried off by wolves” (78). The passage clearly demonstrates McCarthy's ability to create phonically beautiful scenes by using particular diction and syntax. He uses connotative, poetic diction such as 'shire' and 'changeling' to describe nouns. In such instances, I thought McCarthy was pushing readers to examine the natural beauty behind folklore. Despite the creative language, McCarthy's syntax remains relatively simple, as he recounts a thoughtful image. Furthermore, McCarthy alludes to the the mythical pied-piper who lures his followers with his instrument. However, in this case the boy is unaware of the damage left in his wake, as he simply plays for the sake of the art. McCarthy methodically points out that the boy's naivety prevents him fully understanding the horrors which surround him. Allusion is yet another one of McCarthy's tools, along with diction, used to convey a splendid image within the reader's mind. In conclusion, McCarthy's writing style contributes to the readers' perception of the characters and the post-apocalyptic setting. He uses various tools and literary devices to develop a well-written, descriptive narrative, effectively revealing the depravity of the