The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy - 1311 Words

In a postmodern world it is worth contemplating in what we can put our faith. Does culture, religion, or God merit our trust? Or is this a world of mechanical and biological evolutionary processes void of any meaning and purpose? The Sunset Limited, â€Å"a novel in dramatic form,† by Cormac McCarthy, is a dialogue between two persons who approach each other from opposite worlds to answer these questions. Black, a born-again believer and ex-con, and White, a nihilistic college professor, attempt to determine whether belief in God is viable in this world and if life is worth living. Despite Black’s efforts to convince him otherwise, White remains a Depressed Self who denies God’s existence, affirms his view of the world as deranged, and leaves to complete his suicide. White once put value in the â€Å"foundations of civilization,† or the goods of culture, such as â€Å"books and music and art† (McCarthy 25). He believed these goods would provide reason for his existence. Yet White acknowledges that because of reasons he cannot quite pinpoint, these goods have lost their value for himself and others. They are now things of the past. White believes, â€Å"that world is largely gone. Soon it will be wholly gone† (McCarthy 25). As Percy suggests in his book, Lost in the Cosmos, the Depressed Self may be depressed because â€Å"belief in God and religion has declined and with it man’s confidence in the place of the self in the Cosmos† (74). For White, the loss of these cultural goods is a loss ofShow MoreRelatedThe Sunset Limited By Cormac Mccarthy1069 Words   |  5 PagesThe Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy is a one act play between two men who argue their opposing views of the world they live in. White is a profe ssor that sees the world through the lens of an atheist, and Black is a blue collared worker who tries to save White s life by attempting to show him the light of God. On White s birthday, Black spends the early hours of the morning in his apartment attempting to introduce White to God. This occurs after Black saves White from committing suicide down