Question

directions
in this assignment you will analyze the purpose of following and breaking the rules of grammar in literature. follow the steps below to successfully complete the assignment:

1. read through the introduction and excerpts in the 3.1 a2 reading document.
2. choose the response that answers the questions below best.

question 1
you may have noticed that mccarthy sometimes uses expected apostrophes and sometimes doesnt, as in the lines:
\i dont know what to make of that. i surely dont. i thought id never seen a person like that and it got me to wonderin if maybe he was some new kind.\
what is his most likely reason for that inconsistency?

he wants to use as little punctuation as necessary, which a reader doesnt need for \dont\ but might for \id.\
mccarthy doesnt know the rules.
he wants to make the reader feel uncomfortable.
mccarthys editor didnt catch his typos.

Explanation:

Analyze the author's stylistic choice

Using the Authorial Intent knowledge point, we examine why Cormac McCarthy selectively omits apostrophes in contractions like "dont" while retaining them in "I'd". McCarthy is famous for his minimalist approach to punctuation, choosing to omit marks that do not hinder basic readability.

Evaluate the punctuation patterns

Using the Punctuation Rules knowledge point, we compare "dont" and "I'd". A reader easily recognizes "dont" as "don't" without an apostrophe. However, omitting the apostrophe in "I'd" would result in "Id", which is a completely different English word (the psychological "id"), causing confusion.

Assess the given options

• Option 1 suggests he uses minimal punctuation, omitting it when a reader doesn't need it (like "dont") but keeping it when necessary to avoid confusion (like "I'd"). This matches his established style.
• Option 2 ("McCarthy doesn't know the rules") is incorrect; he is a highly celebrated, deliberate writer.
• Option 3 ("He wants to make the reader feel uncomfortable") is incorrect; the choice is about readability and flow, not discomfort.
• Option 4 ("McCarthy's editor didn't catch his typos") is incorrect; these are intentional stylistic choices.

Answer:

• (A) He wants to use as little punctuation as necessary, which a reader doesn't need for "dont" but might for "I'd." (Correct answer)
• (B) McCarthy doesn't know the rules.
• (C) He wants to make the reader feel uncomfortable.
• (D) McCarthy's editor didn't catch his typos.