Cormac Mccarthy The Road Essay

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In his harrowing novel, The Road, Cormac McCarthy follows an unnamed man and his son who venture through a broken, post-apocalyptic world filled with horror and dread, using “the road south” (29) as their guide. As they journey, the man and the boy rely on each other for hope, “each the other’s entire world” (6). The boy gives the man purpose; without him, the man does not have the determination and grit to continue onward. The father and son witness enslaved individuals and cannibals as death looms around every corner in the “barren, silent, godless” land, all a result of the apocalyptic event. As expectations are low, the man does what he can to give the boy hope and protect his child as he explains that they must move on because they are “carrying the fire” (83) and, …show more content…

After the boy drinks the Coca Cola, he declares that “it’s really good” (23) and wants the man to drink some as well. Because the boy said the soda is delicious, he still has hope he stays positive. Getting discouraged is easy, but because the man finds a treat for the boy, his son benefits and has what he needs to journey onward. As McCarthy depicts the scene, his underlying message arises as it becomes more evident that a parent would do anything to benefit their child, as shown through the man’s actions toward the boy in the supermarket. As the father and the son sleep “in the leaves” after a long day of travels on the road, the father wakes and sees a group of people “slouching along with clubs in their hands” (60), already on high alert to protect his son. The pair ran into the trees as the man knew the situation would not improve. As the father looks back, he sees another man “coming through the weeds” (62) and holds his pistol in a meandering man’s

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