- Published: September 12, 2022
- Updated: September 12, 2022
- University / College: University of Chicago
- Language: English
- Downloads: 20
It suits much better in fiction but, it can be a reality too. Cormac McCarthy’s child of God establishes a sincere attempt to dictate the story of a taunting character – Lester Ballard. Lester Ballard is a rural man, aged twenty seven, residing in a reckless house in the Tennessee hill country. His past dictates his present life. His mother ran when he was a child and his father hanged himself. The novel begins with Ballard’s residence being auctioned. He protests, aims his rifle at the auctioneer and someone from behind hits him with an axe.
Lester Ballard is ignored by everyone, he wanders wild along with his rifle. He starts masturbating when he gets sight of a naked couple in a car. He ran as they saw him. He comes across another naked couple who were dead. Ballard drags the girl home after a necrophiliac hurl. He buys her clothes from the money that he gets from the dead boy’s wallet. His hut ran on fire. Ballard managed to escape but, he cannot save the dead girl. He kills a woman with his rifle, as she sits in her house with her abnormal son. Then, he sets the house on fire. He drags the girl out and let the cretin burn.
There is another car with another couple. He kills both of them and takes the girl to his place – a cave where he is living now. He also tries to kill a man who bought his house but the man shoots Ballard.
Some suspicion about Ballard has developed during this time. He is taken from the county hospital by a group. Ballard Promises to show the men where the bodies are stored but, he escapes them in the cave. After certain time, Ballard dies. Accidently, a farmer discovered the bodies. As the first body comes up, ” Gray soapy clots of matter fell from the cadaver’s chin. She ascended dangling. She sloughed in the weem of the noose. A gray rheum dripped.”
The title of the novel suggests that Lester Ballard wants the attention of readers as he is a ‘ Child of God.’ The author postulates that Ballard is ” much like yourself perhaps.” But in reality he lacks the connection with other people, and even he is not connected with himself.