The Orchard Keeper
Encyclopedia
The Orchard Keeper is the first novel
by the American novelist Cormac McCarthy
.
The novel is set in a small, isolated community in Tennessee
, during the inter-war period. It is the story of John Wesley Rattner, a young boy, and Marion Sylder, an outlaw
and bootlegger
, who has killed Rattner's father, a fact to which both are oblivious.
Marion Sylder is an outlaw
and bootlegger
and murderer. Sylder is married, but his relationship with his wife is never expanded upon.
Arthur Ownby is cited as "The Old Man" and "Uncle Ather", a hermit who lives alone with his dog in the mountains. Also, he is acquainted with some of the local boys, eventually including John Wesley.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by the American novelist Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy is an American novelist and playwright. He has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western, and modernist genres. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for The Road...
.
The novel is set in a small, isolated community in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, during the inter-war period. It is the story of John Wesley Rattner, a young boy, and Marion Sylder, an outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and bootlegger
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
, who has killed Rattner's father, a fact to which both are oblivious.
Themes
The main themes of the novel include fostering, hospitality, and nature. Woven in amongst descriptions of harsh surroundings, sudden actions - a swing of a tire iron, a porch falling off a building, a car falling into a creek, an owl swooping down - become turning points which in turn become new environments in which McCarthy's characters evolve.Characters
John Wesley Rattner is the son of Kenneth Rattner. Throughout most of the novel, he is around the age of 14. No physical description of him is ever given, but McCarthy alludes that he lives alone with his mother. John Wesley is strikingly independent and good natured, making numerous acquaintances and friendships, as well as being incredibly loyal.Marion Sylder is an outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and bootlegger
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
and murderer. Sylder is married, but his relationship with his wife is never expanded upon.
Arthur Ownby is cited as "The Old Man" and "Uncle Ather", a hermit who lives alone with his dog in the mountains. Also, he is acquainted with some of the local boys, eventually including John Wesley.