Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire
The Art of Manliness1 Dec 2021

Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire

Once a year, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's a cathartic annual ritual for me. What is it about this novel that has such an impact on my soul and those of other readers? Who is the man who wrote it, and what was he trying to do with this story of a father and son struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic landscape?

For answers to these questions, I decided to talk to a foremost expert on McCarthy's work, as well as the literature of the American West in general. His name is Steven Frye and he's a professor of English, a novelist in his own right, and the author and editor of several books about the reclusive, philosophical author, including Understanding Cormac McCarthy. We begin our conversation with some background on McCarthy and a discussion of his distinctive style and themes, and why he avoids the limelight and prefers to hang out with scientists over fellow artists. We then dive into The Road, and Steve unpacks what inspired it, as well as the authors and books that influenced it. We then dig into the big themes of The Road, and how it can be read as a biblical allegory that wrestles with the existence of God. We delve into the tension which exists between the father and son in the book, and what it means to "carry the fire." We end our conversation with why reading The Road makes you feel both depressed and hopeful at the same time.

A spoiler alert here: If you haven't read The Road yet, we do reveal some of the plot points in this discussion. Also, why haven't you read The Road yet?

Resources Related to the PodcastConnect With Steven Frye

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(1158)

Episode #22: Raising Cain With Dr. Michael Thompson

Episode #22: Raising Cain With Dr. Michael Thompson

Statistics show that American boys are in trouble. They’re more likely to have depression, abuse alcohol and drugs, and perform poorly in school. What can we do to help these troubled boys? To get som...

3 Apr 201419min

Episode #21: No More Mr. Nice Guy With Dr. Robert Glover

Episode #21: No More Mr. Nice Guy With Dr. Robert Glover

We've all heard the phrase "Nice guys finish last," right? Why is that? Why do the men whose women friends tell him he'll make a great catch never have a date come Friday night? Or why does the guy wh...

3 Apr 201420min

Episode #20: Freemasonry and Manhood In American History with Robert Davis

Episode #20: Freemasonry and Manhood In American History with Robert Davis

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast. In this edition, we talk to Robert Davis about the history of masculinity in America and Freemasonry's influence on American men. Rober...

3 Apr 201438min

Episode #19: Mad Men and Manliness with Mad Man’s Rich Sommer

Episode #19: Mad Men and Manliness with Mad Man’s Rich Sommer

Welcome back to the podcast! In this week's episode we talk to actor Rich Sommer who plays ad man Harry Crane on AMC's hit drama Mad Men. We discuss Mad Men's take on mid-century masculinity, how star...

3 Apr 201418min

Episode #18: Gritty Stories From the Wild West With Matthew Mayo

Episode #18: Gritty Stories From the Wild West With Matthew Mayo

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness Podcast!In this week's episode we talk to author Matthew Mayo. Matt has recently written a book called Cowboys, Mountain Men, and Grizzly Bears: Fifty of the Gritt...

3 Apr 201423min

Episode #17: The Code of Chivalry With Scott Farrell

Episode #17: The Code of Chivalry With Scott Farrell

Welcome back to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's episode we talk to Scott Farrell, director of Chivalry Today. We discuss the history of chivalry and how modern men can ...

3 Apr 201422min

Episode #16: Conquering Debt with J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly

Episode #16: Conquering Debt with J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly

Welcome back to another episode of The Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's edition we talk to J.D. Roth, founder of the personal finance blog, Get Rich Slowly. Money Magazine named Get Rich Slowl...

3 Apr 201421min

Episode #15: Man Stories with Kasper

Episode #15: Man Stories with Kasper

Welcome back to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast. This week we return to our series called Man Stories where we interview a different gentleman and ask him what it means to be a man. Th...

3 Apr 201420min

Populärt inom Utbildning

historiepodden-se
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
det-skaver
alska-oss
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
nu-blir-det-historia
not-fanny-anymore
sektledare
allt-du-velat-veta
johannes-hansen-podcast
roda-vita-rosen
rss-viktmedicinpodden
rss-foraldramotet-bring-lagercrantz
i-vantan-pa-katastrofen
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd
sa-in-i-sjalen
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
rss-beratta-alltid-det-har
rss-npf-podden
rss-pa-insidan-med-bjorn-rudman