Myth And Truth In Cormac Mccarthy’s Southern Narratives: Reframing The Portrayal Of Landscape, Society And Humanity

Abstract

Cormac McCarthy’s novels share a common concern with humanity. They almost hinge entirely on its dark side thriving upon extremes, (common) abnormalities and cloaked reality. They also probe into ethical dilemmas and national myths while deploying a style that—in all its richness—does not waver away from poignancy and solemnness. Particularly, his Southern works explore of cultural myths in an attempt to revise prevailing visions. By exposing the horrors of the past and how they survive into the present, The Orchard Keeper (1965), Child of God (1973) and Suttree (1979) unveil the failure of white American civilization with its nurturing of violent, egoistic, and supremacist myths. The narratives focus on social outcast who abandon society and seem to find no refuge in a decaying nature. Hence, the analyses show that their moral struggles, which result from foundational southern myths, represent a deeper reality within southern culture and carry universal significance.