Trancending meaninglessness : seeking the meaning of life in the post-apocalyptic scenarios of J. Crace and C. McCarthy

Abstract

The meaning of life is always an intriguing issue. This research paper explores the lack of meaning put forward in the post-apocalyptic scenarios of Jim Crace’s The Pesthouse and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Meaninglessness is analysed on a theoretical level in terms of evil. The thrust of the argument is that when approached in the appropriate manner, the dichotomy of good and evil can be transcended. Life can be bestowed with meaning even when suffering meaninglessness. Both The Pesthouse and The Road describe a bleak, post-apocalyptic world; in these circumstances, meaningful life is under serious threat. Crace writes a tale which has its protagonists running away in search for meaning, only to have them return back to their point of departure. McCarthy depicts a land devastated with ruin and death, where a man and a boy struggle to keep hold of their humanity. The discussion outlines the manner in which both scenarios portray not only meaninglessness but, ultimately, its transcendence.