him a kind of borrowed courage that made him feel powerful, attractive, and in control. Those effects were precisely part of the danger because they provided temporary relief rather than addressing the insecurity underneath. As his tolerance and dependence developed, the substance that once appeared to offer confidence increasingly controlled his behavior. His later reflections describe this period without suggesting that fame itself was the sole cause of his drinking.
That distinction is important when discussing his addiction accurately. McCarthy has specifically rejected the simple explanation that
