Browsing by Author "McCarthy, Kevin"

While much scholarly work has been conducted on American author Cormac McCarthy’s various literary influences, very little has been written about the influence McCarthy wields over contemporary writers. This thesis seeks to demonstrate some of the tangible ways in which McCarthy, and, specifically, his novel Blood Meridian (1985), appear to have influenced Tasmanian writer Rohan Wilson’s award-winning debut novel, The Roving Party (2011). Many reviewers and critics of The Roving Party have compared it to Blood Meridian; however, the comparisons are often vague and abstract. This thesis will attempt to show concretely how, and to what extent, Wilson’s style echoes McCarthy with regard to punctuation, syntax, grammar, and parallel scene construction. In addition to literary style, it will explore the influence McCarthy may have had on some of Wilson’s choices regarding the content, especially in terms of vocabulary and weaponry. It will also suggest a character from The Roving Party that may possibly crossover with Blood Meridian. Cormac McCarthy is, himself, a valuable case study when it comes to inspecting the influence one writer has held over another. A brief summary of Herman Melville’s influence on Blood Meridian will be conducted, paying particular attention to the ways in which Melville’s work, and in particular Moby-Dick, shaped Blood Meridian in terms of word choice, scene construction and the formation of characters. In addition, both Blood Meridian and The Roving Party share an indebtedness to history, owing much of their plot and most of their characters to verifiable real-life events and people. This thesis will lastly examine The Roving Party’s relationship with a few of the historical sources that inspired the novel.