46 pages • 1 hour read
Cormac McCarthyThe Passenger
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Historical Context: The Aftermath of the Atomic Age and the Rise of Quantum Physics
The novel deals extensively with 20th-century developments in physics, math, and science. There are frequent discussions of quantum mechanics, and many of the 20th century’s most famous scientists, including Albert Einstein, are mentioned. Quantum mechanics itself is a field within physics that “describes the behavior of particles” (Mann, Adam. “What is Quantum Mechanics?” Livescience, 4 Mar. 2022). Additionally, “In classical mechanics, objects exist in a specific place at a specific time. In quantum mechanics, objects instead exist in a haze of probability; they have a certain chance of being at point A, another chance of being at point B and so on” (Mann). This is a useful starting point for those new to how quantum mechanics, and the uncertainty it uncovered, challenged humanity’s way of understanding the nature of reality. Historically, a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics, specifically by eminent 1920s scientist Neils Bohr, ultimately led to the development of the atomic bomb, which changed the course of human history. The legacy of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II is explored in the novel. That humanity possesses means to exterminate itself from the planet is a central theme in the novel.
Authorial Context: Cormac McCarthy’s Literary Eras
For those new to McCarthy’s work, it is best to see The Passenger as a departure from earlier works. These earlier works can generally be categorized by geography. His first series of novels all take place in the mid-south of the United States. From there, his novels shifted to the American Southwest. This included a series of novels entitled The Border Trilogy and the acclaimed Blood Meridian, which all took place in the desert and arid lands that straddle the American and Mexican border. With the publication of The Road in 2006, McCarthy once again began shifting into new spaces and new thematic concerns. That novel imagines a post-apocalyptic world and those who survive a global catastrophe, often assumed to be a nuclear war.
The Passenger picks up on the nuclear war theme and spends a great deal of time examining the legacy of scientific developments that led to the atomic bomb. Eminent physicists of the early to mid-20th century are referred to frequently, and the protagonist’s father was one such scientist. The father also worked on the Manhattan Project, where the first atomic bombs were developed.
Significantly, McCarthy was a trustee at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI), a leading think tank in complex systems science. An article by SFI states:
In a 2015 event that SFI hosted at Santa Fe’s historic Lensic Performing Arts Center, people were granted a preview of parts of ‘The Passenger’ in an event directed by David Krakauer, with art by James Drake, music by Cormac’s son, John McCarthy, and performances by Caitlin McShea. The event made clear the Institute’s powerful influence on the novel (“Cormac and SFI: An Abiding Friendship.” Sante Fe Institute, 25 Oct. 2022).
McCarthy’s interest in complex systems science and his friendships with notable scientists at the SFI are influential and can be recognized in The Passenger.
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