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Supernatural Syntax

Decent Essays

The second notable binary in this novel is before versus after the disaster. The father, who was well into his adult life once the unknown catastrophe occurred, deals with recurring flashbacks or memories from the time before. The boy, however, was born into this world and therefore does not have any recollection or grasp of what life was like prior to the world ending. The father clings onto happier times before the obfuscated disaster, whether it is with his wife or just the beauty of nature as a whole. However, they heavily focus on only two aspects of time: then and now. Rather than only looking at the present or taking it day by day, both characters consistently bring up the beautiful world they wish to revisit. These opposing ends represent two very different sides of life, one they desire to …show more content…

The past is described as stunning, radiant, and eloquent in his memories. However, the present is dull, harsh, and lifeless. This use of lyrical syntax is another branch under deconstructive criticism, which illuminates the appeal of the world before the dilapidation of the normal society. Due to his yearning for a better life, or the life he once had, the dreams he experiences only cause him to seek death more. The only thing keeping him alive, of course, is his son. When reflecting on the visions he frequently gets lost in, he says “the right dreams for a man in peril were the dreams of peril and all else was the call of langour and of death.” (McCarthy 18). This signifies that he is disguising his lack of will to live by living in the past, essentially escaping from the present to relive his best memories. The parallels McCarthy creates to distinguish then and now with happy and sad emphasize the sorrow the characters are dealing with, and shows the man’s incapability to let go of the past for fear of losing it

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