Cand. Sc. (Philology), Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Literature, Institute of Philology and Journalism, Lobachevsky State University, Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, kulikov@flf.unn.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5037-7226
The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the eschatological concepts presented in two 21st-century American novels: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Andrew Krivak’s The Bear, both of which fall within the post-apocalyptic genre. While both novels employ a similar narrative motif — the end of the world — they interpret the semantics of the apocalypse in distinct ways. McCarthy adopts a more traditional perspective, portraying the demise of humanity as both inevitable (due to destructive anthropogenic forces) and deeply tragic. However, he maintains a sense of hope for renewal, framing it within a context reminiscent of biblical themes. In contrast, Krivak presents the apocalypse as a natural «liberation» of the Earth from human influence, depicting this transformation as a blessing for the planet. His approach, informed by mythology, suggests a cyclical pattern of birth and extinction for the human species.
post-apocalyptic novel; eschatology; mythology; religious motifs; contemporary American literature; Anthropocene.
Download textFor citing: Kulikov E.A. (2025) Eschatological dialogue between The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Bear by Andrew Krivak. Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow. INION RAN. Vol. 3 (63). pp. 166-183. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2025.03.10