Cities of the Plain: Gerçek Amerikan Kovboylarının Sonu
Anahtar Kelimeler:
Western, Kovboy Erkekliği, Cormac McCarthy, Cities of the Plain, Batı EfsaneleriÖz
Bu makale Cormac McCarthy’nin Sınır Üçlemesi’nin son romanı olan Cities of the Plain’i (1998) inceleyerek, yazarın kovboy erkekliği betimlemelerini çözümlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makale McCarthy’nin romanında yaralı erkekliği ve yetişkin kovboyları konu eden Western türünü inceleyişini ele alırken, ana karakterler John Grady ve Billy’nin kovboy erkekliğine dair yanılgılarıyla ve kovboy yaşam biçiminin aslında bir mite dayandığı; kovboyların atlarıyla sınırlarını aşacakları bir dünyanın artık var olmadığı gerçeklikleriyle yüzleşmelerini çözümleyecektir. Yazarın kovboy karakterleri, 2000’li yıllarda, artık kovboyların yurdu olmayan, yirminci yüzyıl askeri tesislerini, kurumsallaşmış büyük çiftlikleri ve korkutucu modern zaman bürokrasisini barındıran bir Batı’da hayatta kalmaya çalışır. Batı uygarlığı sonrası olarak tanımlanan dünyada hayatta kalmanın koşulu—her ne kadar çekici görünseler de—köhneleşmiş bölgesel mitler ve geleneklere bağlanmayıp, sağlıklı erkekliklere yönelmektir. Romandaki kovboyların destansı maceraları övgüye değer, asil ve erkeksi görünse de, McCarthy bu tür maceraların yaşanabileceği bir toplum ve kültürün artık var olmamasından dolayı kovboyların başarısız olmaya mahkum olmalarını örneklendirir.
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