Previous
Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
Akin to Hemingway, McCarthy writes using simple sentences and grammar, often lacking punctuation or certain words altogether. This aligns with a postmodernist approach to writing, which tends to challenge the foundations of what should be considered "legitimate" writing (i.e., using dialect vs. standard English, using "correct" grammar, etc.). Both McCarthy and Hemingway use a simplified style to belie the complex nature of human interaction that their respective works depict. Underneath the simple dialogue and simple narration lies a world of intrigue and fraught relationships.
No Country for Old Men is a novel centered on a series of intricate moral conundrums, intended to reflect the looming presence of interpersonal violence within American culture. As such, McCarthy could have quite easily written the novel in a more philosophical style, using the flowery descriptions and meandering syntax characteristic of a purpler, more academic prose. Instead, McCarthy opts for a simple style, both contrasting with his story's moral complexity and emphasizing the mundanity of violence. The evil McCarthy contends with is both banal and grandiose; Americans, being exposed to such violence daily, are both shocked by it and increasingly desensitized to it. McCarthy's expert use of style heightens this sense of contrast at play within American culture.
Related Themes:
