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What does it All Mean?

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Considering how integral a role greed plays in the progression of the book’s events this topic clearly serves as a significant part of the book’s overarching meaning. After all, just as I stated in my most recent blog post many of the book’s characters, unfortunately, find their fates to be dictated by Moss’ decision to take the suitcase full of money. Thus, by choosing to so harshly condemn Moss’ actions through the killing of everyone he loves and cares about McCarthy indicates to readers that greed is an unacceptable wrong that should never be committed. However, McCarthy’s discussion of morality throughout the book extends well beyond the focus on the topic of greed. In fact, McCarthy incorporates Sheriff Bell’s character into Moss’ story in order to create a means of discussing crime and the immorality that leads to its occurrence. This can be seen in Sheriff Bell’s involvement in the police investigation surrounding Chigurh’s hunt for Moss when he states that “this county h...
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Reading Four (Pages 236-309): All Good Things Eventually Meet Their End

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In light of my decision to look back on everything that has happened over the course of the book , I have now started to fully comprehend just how much has changed since I began reading. After all, while McCarthy managed to first draw me into his writing with the mystery and intrigue surrounding Moss’ discovery of the suitcase in the desert, Moss’ decision to then take the suitcase and run from Chigurh has since resulted in a series of rather unfortunate and violent but still avoidable events. In fact, of all the novels that I have read throughout high school, this novel, in particular, could easily be regarded as one of the most violent considering the high proportion of its characters that are seriously harmed or killed. This list, of course, includes Moss because even though he has been shown to possess admirable qualities prior to taking the suitcase full of money it seemed nearly inevitable that he would end up paying the ultimate price for his demonstrated greed. Conseque...
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Reading Three (Pages 158-235): Literary Devices and Themes

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While I have already addressed aspects of McCarthy’s unique writing style in previous posts I thought that I would now turn my attention to his use of literary devices in my most recent reading. This decision came about primarily as a result of the significance of a variety of devices to the development of many of the book’s larger thematic ideas that have been less directly addressed in my previous readings. Now that the fast-paced action and killing seen in the book’s earlier chapters seems to have subsided the nature of McCarthy’s writing has clearly grown more reflective and less grounded in Moss’ story. Consequently, McCarthy’s use of metaphorical language has only continued to increase, although especially in regard to how it relates to the topics of pain and death. This point is well evidenced by Chigurh’s descriptions of the bullet wound in his leg as “throbbing like a pump” (page 161) as well as looking “like a snakebite” (163). Thus, through the use of simile McCarthy ...
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Reading Two (Pages 80-157): Writing Style and Symbols

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Cormac McCarthy’s writing as an author is generally matter of fact and lacks the use of descriptive detail. Consequently, readers of his books are forced to base their perceptions of his characters solely off of their analysis of the characters’ speech and actions. For instance, the receptionist at one of the hotels that Moss stays in is only ever referred to as “a woman sitting at a desk watching the television,” (82) meaning that the reader has to analyze how she interacts with Moss as he checks in if they hope to have any understanding of her character. However, the lack of descriptive detail in McCarthy’s writing does also place additional emphasis on what little imagery he does choose to use, thereby further illuminating changes in Moss’ character as well as the presence of symbols and motifs. The simplicity of McCarthy’s use of detail improves the reader’s sense of changes in Moss’ character throughout the book. After all, when Moss is first introduced it quickly becomes evide...
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Reading One (Pages 1-79): Characters

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The role of the book’s primary protagonist is filled by Llewelyn Moss, a middle-aged hunter who leads a quiet and mundane life in a small, dusty Texas town. Often a man of few words, he generally chooses to spend his time in the company of his own thoughts rather than his wife Carla Jean who he nonetheless seeks to protect at all costs. However, in spite of his limited educational background, Moss is shown to be quick thinking and knowledgeable, allowing him to escape any trouble that he happens to encounter in his line of work. Consequently, after discovering a suitcase full of money leftover from what appears to be a drug deal gone awry, Moss chooses to embrace his adventurous and risk-taking half in attempting to avoid death at the hands of the people to which the money belongs. Moss’ wife Carla Jean on the other hand has a personality that strongly contrasts that of her husband. After all, whereas Moss prefers to remain emotionally distant and avoid conversation, Carla Jea...
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