Cormac Maccarthy's the Road as an allegory of the apocalypse in the xxi century
Keywords:
philosophical and allegorical novel, postmodernism, Apocalypse, post-apocalypse, alienation, loneliness, antimetaphysics, metanarrative, extraspectionAbstract
Objective: to reveal the specific features of the artistic model of the world in K. McCarthy’s "The Road" as a philosophical and allegorical novel.
Methods: dialectic, genetic, hermeneutic, structural-semiotic, intertextual, systemic.
Results of the study can be used in the further study of the philosophical and allegorical novel from the standpoint of modern aesthetics, cultural studies, literary criticism, comparative studies, which, in turn, will deepen understanding of the modern literary process.
Conclusion. In his prose writer raises the questions of the relationship of people in the family and the relationship of a person with God, the meaning of human existence and a person's place in the world. Problems of communication between generations, humanity, sacrifice are the main ones for the author. Humanity, according to the author, experienced the first catastrophe even during the Fall, and from that moment it found itself in the confinement of a post-apocalyptic state. The biblical layer of the novel deepens the connection between the problem of post-apocalypse and Christianity, and McCarthy becomes the author of a new religiosity based not so much on faith in God as on interaction between people based on trust, love, renunciation and redemption. T. McCarthy's work opens up new horizons for creating numerous allegories, raising the question of “literature (how artificial is realism?), Existence (are we capable of genuine existence?), Politics (what is left of identity politics?) and law (Where do we define boundaries, what and whom are we excluding and why?) ”. The allegory of the Apocalypse in T. McCarthy's novel has the meaning of loneliness, isolationism, renewal, memory, movement, road, death, survival. The author uses a sophisticated storytelling technique (extraspection technique) and experiments with the use of a new language that would be characteristic of the world after the Apocalypse.
References
Жилевич, О. Ф. Современный философско-аллегорический роман: жанровые особенности / О. Ф. Жилевич // Веснік Брэсцкага ўніверсітэта. Серыя 3 : Філалогія. Педагогіка. Псіхалогія. – 2019. – № 2. – С. 37-43.
Переяшкин, В. В. Творчество американских писателей второй половины XX века в контексте южной литературной традиции (на материале произведений К. Макккаллерс, У. Стайрона, К. Маккарти, Л. Смит) : автореф. дис. … д. филол. наук / В. В. Переяшкин. – М., 2010. – 44 с.
Тауснева, А. С. Постмодернистская парадигма «руины» и ее лингвопоэтология в творчестве Т. Маккарти : автореф. дис. … к. филол. наук / А. С. Тауснева. – М. – 2010. – 18 с.
Benjamin, W. The Origin of German Tragic Drama. Trans. John Osborne / W. Benjamin. – New York: Verso, 2009. – 240 p.
Bloom, H. How to Read and Why / H. Bloom. – New York: Scribner. – 2001. – 288 p.
Curtis, C. P. Postapocalyptic Fiction and the Social Contract: «We’ll Not Go Home Again» / C. P. Curtis. – Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2010. – 210 p.
McCarthy, C. The Road / C. McCarthy. – New York: Vintage Books, 2006. – 387 p.
Murphet J. Styles of Extinction: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road / J. Murphet. – London and New York: Continuum, 2012. – 254 р.
Tambling, J. Allegory / J. Tambling. – London: Routledge, 2009. – 237 p.
Woodson, L. Mapping The Road in Post-Postmodernism / L. Woodson // The Cormac McCarthy Journal 6 (2008). – P. 87–99.
References
Jilevich, O.F. [Modern philosophical and allegorical novel: genre features]. Vesni`k Bre`sczkaga u`ni`versi`te`ta. Sery`ya 3 : Fi`lalogi`ya. Pedagogi`ka. Psi`khalogi`ya [Bulletin of Brest University. Series 3: Philology. Pedagogy. Psychology.]. 2019, no. 2, pp. 37-43. (In Russian)
Pereyashkin V.V. Tvorchestvo amerikanskikh pisatelej vtoroj poloviny` XX veka v kontekste yuzhnoj literaturnoj tradiczii (na materiale proizvedenij K. Makkkallers, U. Stajrona, K. Makkarti, L. Smit) [Creativity of American writers of the second half of the 20th century in the context of the southern literary tradition (based on the works of C. McCullers, W. Styron, C. McCarthy, L. Smith)]. Abstract of Doctor´s degree dissertation. M. 2010, 44 p. (In Russian)
Tausneva A. Postmodernistskaya paradigma «ruiny`» i ee lingvopoe`tologiya v tvorchestve T. Makkarti [Postmodernist paradigm "ruins" and its linguo-poetology in the works of C. McCarthy] Abstract of Ph. D. thesis. M. 2010, 18 p. (In Russian)
Benjamin W. The Origin of German Tragic Drama. Trans. John Osborne. New York: Verso, 2009, 240 p.
Bloom H. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner. – 2001, 288 p.
Curtis C.P. Postapocalyptic Fiction and the Social Contract: «We’ll Not Go Home Again». Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2010, 210 p.
McCarthy C. The Road. New York: Vintage Books, 2006, 387 p.
Murphet J. Styles of Extinction: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. London and New York: Continuum, 2012, 254 р.
Tambling, J. Allegory London: Routledge, 2009, 237 p.
Woodson, L. Mapping The Road in Post-Postmodernism. The Cormac McCarthy Journal 6 (2008), pp. 87–99.
