Comparison: The Road, by Cormac McCarthy and The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

Organisms differ in their anatomical structures, environments, habits and qualities. But a commonality that all living organisms share is the desire to survive. Survival is necessary for the continuation of any species and obviously, necessary for life. “Survival of the fittest” is a theory that was introduced by Charles Darwin, but many American novels have proven that being the “fittest” is not the only component to survival. In novels, such as The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, one very important factor involved with survival is the bonds between people. William Glasser, an American psychiatrist that developed reality therapy and choice theory, stated that, “We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.” But the two novels create a bridge between survival and “love and belonging”, expressing the extent to which family and friendship inspire one’s urge to survive as well as the actions and emotions that ensue as one struggles to live.

The Road focuses on the bond between a father and his son. Throughout the novel the father states that taking care of his son “is my job”. Examples of this are after the father and son encounter the “bad guys” for the first time and as the father washes “a dead man’s brains out of his [the son’s] hair” (McCarthy 63). The father is surviving primarily for the sake of his son. He puts himself second and entirely devotes himself to the safety and well-being of his son. When they are living on scarce quantities of food and water, the father ensures that the son receives a sufficient amount, even if that means he has to give up his share. The father wraps the son in their blankets and clothes during cold nights to make s...

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...st definition, the characters are no longer living. They are already dead, having no chance to enjoy fun moments. But the latter definition still gives them life. Though the characters are still living and breathing, some are barely doing so, and a number of the characters succumb to death by the end of the novel. But before they succumb, the characters are instigated, by their relationship to family and friends, to resist death. Love is shown to dominate life, and the degree to which someone will want to live. But when the love is lost, the will is lost. In the case of survival, as well as in other cases of lost love in relationships, memories of the past arise, and people feel angry, guilty and lonely. To live is to love.

Works Cited

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Vintage, 2006. Print.

Bradbury, Ray. The Illustrated Man. Toronto: Bantam, 1982. Print.