The Crossing Essay Research Paper The Crossing

The Crossing Essay, Research Paper

The Crossing

In Cormac McCarthy s novel The Crossing, there is a dramatic sequence described by the storyteller. The writer uses many different techniques to convey the impact of the experience on the storyteller. Some of these such techniques are: repeat, enunciation, and simile.

Of the aforesaid techniques, the most obvious is repeat. The writer uses the word and a sum of 33 times. However, the simple use of the word is non what is to be noticed. It is the arrangement of the word that is interesting. In sentences in which there is reference of the wolf, the word and is used 20 times. This sum is 150 % higher than the sum of times the writer chose to include the word and in sentences which did non advert the wolf. There are times in which it would be merely as

easily, if non easier, for the writer to go forth out the word and. For illustration, McCormac could hold said: he touched the cold, perfect dentition. However, and was once more squeezed in for the intent of repeat. A possible ground for this is that the writer wanted to give the reader the same experiencing the storyteller had: one of entire mental aggravation and exhaustion. When discoursing the wolf, the writer uses run-ons to threading together thoughts in much the same manner a individual under intense mental or emotional emphasis would. Besides, the repeat of the word and mimics a kid. The failure to hesitate to organize the sentences

right gives the feeling of a kid stating a narrative ; non so much worried about the grammatical construction, but more focused on the affair at manus. This immature and juvenile signifier of composing conveys the storytellers loose presence of head at this clip.

Enunciation is besides an of import literary technique that McCormac uses to pass on the impact of the experience on the storyteller. In the gap sentenc

vitamin E of this extract, the writer uses words such as scree and escarpments. While words such as bouldery and drops would hold sufficed on the simple degree, they do non to the full convey the temper. The writer intentionally uses these words to trip up the reader. The words are non precisely commonplace in most mean vocabularies, so the presence of them causes the reader to

slighter hesitation. It s a possibility that the reader would set the book down and recover a dictionary. This faltering on the reader s portion coincides with the storytellers faltering. McCormac had the reader stumbling on words at the exact minute that the storyteller is stumbling on talus slides. This adds to the reader s apprehension of the storyteller s backbreaking undertaking.

A concluding technique used by McCormac to convey the storyteller s experience is simile. By comparing the storyteller to a dozing penitent, the writer gives the feeling that the storyteller is regretful for what has happened. Simile is besides used subsequently on in the narrative. Where she ran the calls of the prairie wolfs slapped shut as if a door had closed upon them and all was fear and wonder. This simile suggests that the wolf had the power to hush other animals merely with her presence. This is perchance a metaphor and simile in coexistence.

The simile gives the reader some thought as to what sort of power the wolf possessed. Metaphorically speech production, the writer may hold been mentioning to God. Fear and wonder are non uncommon footings when discoursing God. The conductivity of simile and metaphor to the full communicates to the reader the sort of love and esteem the storyteller felt for the wolf.

In decision, McCormac uses many literary techniques to convey to the reader the impact of the experience on the storyteller. By the terminal of this short transition, the reader feels someway attuned to the storytellers anguish and feels a sense of understanding every bit good as a sense of loss.