Year of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
English
Department or School/College
Literature
Committee Chair
Dr. Brady Harrison
Commitee Members
Dr. Robert Baker, Dr. Eric Reimer, Dr. Ona Renner-Fahey
Keywords
Cormac McCarthy, Chretien, Kierkegaard, The Road, Jessie L. Weston, Apocalyptic Literature
Subject Categories
American Literature | Continental Philosophy | Other Classics
Abstract
Cormac McCarthy scholars have examined the influence of romantic grail quest literature and existential philosophy on McCarthy’s oeuvre, but they have treated these subjects independently of each other. This thesis offers a novel exploration of McCarthy’s use of these specific philosophical and literary precedents by focusing on the ways The Road unifies medieval literary principles in Chretien’s Perceval with the existential chivalry Søren Kierkegaard extrapolates in Fear and Trembling.
Recommended Citation
Metelerkamp, Zoë Margaret, "CORMAC’S COURT: KNIGHTS WITHOUT GOD IN A SAVAGE LAND; OR, CHIVALRY AND EXISTENTIALISM IN CORMAC McCARTHY’S THE ROAD" (2026). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12650.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12650
© Copyright 2026 Zoë Margaret Metelerkamp