The Road by Cormac McCarthy
1.
The story begins with a father and his son in
the woods, the boy asleep. The two are making their journey along the road in a
post-apocalyptic world. The date and place are never said, though you can kind
of tell it takes place somewhere in the United states because the father tells
his son they’re walking the “state roads”. Neither the man nor the boy is given
a name; this anonymity adds to the novel's tone that this could be happening
anywhere, to anyone.
2. The biggest theme I found in this book
constantly would probably be “Good vs. Evil”. The boy; more than once would ask
his father if they were the “good guys” and who the "bad guys “were. The
father explains to him who exactly were the bad guys. The bad guys were those
seeking to hurt them like thieves, murderers, and those creepy cannibals. The
Father also explains that the good guys are those who "keep trying. Those
who never give up”. The Fathers tells
his son the "good guys' carry a special "fire". The
"fire" they carry internally means they will do the right thing and
whatever it takes to stay alive.
3. The reason I
chose this book was because back in 2009 I saw the trailer for the movie and
thought it looked really good. Sadly I couldn't watch the film because it was
rated “R” and I was only 9 years old. Just a couple months ago I got a chance
to see the movie and I enjoyed it.
4. The book was
really realistic at times even though it takes place in a post-apocalyptic
world I felt like I could somewhat connect to it sometimes. Like the father in
this book, my dad would do whatever it takes to protect me from the evil out
there in the world
5. In the book,
the authors tone is really tender, elegiac, and unflinching. I thought it was
pretty amazing how the author combined what's basically a horror tale of wild
cannibals with a tender father-son love story. The story has plenty of tender
moments between the Man and his son. He's serious about the love a father can
share with a son, even in the wake of a huge disaster.
6. 10
literary elements
·
Imagery
“The man that hove into view and stood
there looking at him was dressed in a gray and yellow ski parka. He carried a
shotgun upside down over his shoulder on a braided leather lanyard and wore a
nylon bandolier filled with shells for the gun. A veteran of old skirmishes,
bearded, scarred across his cheek and the bone stoven and the one eye
wandering.” (Page 237)
·
Metaphor
"He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw
for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless
circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun
in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two
hunted animals trembling like ground foxes in their cover. Borrowed time and
borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it." (page 110)
·
Foreshadow
"He leaned his forehead on his arms crossed upon the
bar handle of the cart and coughed. He spat a bloody drool. More and more he
had to stop and rest. The boy watched him. In some other world the child would
already have begun to vacate him from his life. But he had no other life."
(Page 75)
·
Alliteration
“Dark beyond darkness and the days” (page 1)
·
Personification
“Yes it is. When we're all gone at
last then there'll be nobody here but death and his days will be numbered too.
He'll be out in the road there with nothing to do and nobody to do it to. He'll
say: Where did everybody go? And that's how it will be. What's wrong with that?
“(Page 173)
·
Metaphor
"How much had gone already?
The sacred idiom shorn of its referents and so its reality. Drawing down like
something trying to preserve heat. In time to wink out forever." (Page 75)
·
Alliteration
"When he came back he knelt
beside his father and held his cold hand and said his name over and over."
(Page 281)
·
Symbolism
"You can't. You have to carry
the fire." "I don't know how to." "Yes you do."
"Is it real? The fire?" "Yes it is." "Where is it? I
don't know where it is." "Yes you do. It's inside you. It was always
there. I can see it." (Page 279)
·
Allusion
“He knew only that the child was
his warrant. He said: if he is not the word of God God never spoke.” (Page 2)
·
Imagery
“Crouching there pale and naked
and translucent, its alabaster bones cast up in shadow on the rocks behind it.
Its bowels, its beating heart. The brain the pulsed in a dull glass bell.”
(Page 1)
1.
Direct
characterization
Example 1
The Boy: “Can I ask you something?”
The Man: “Yes. Of course you can.”
The Boy: “What would you do if I
died?”
The Man: “If you died I would want
to die too.”
The Boy: “So you could be with me?”
The Man: “Yes. So I could be with
you”.
The Boy: “Okay.” (pg. 11)
This scene is one of the most
memorable for me from the book and the movie as well. This just goes to show
how much the father loves his son and how his son is basically the reason he
strives to survive for.
Example 2
The boy lay with his head in the
man's lap. After a while he said: They're going to kill those people, aren't
they?
“Yes.”
“Why do they have to do that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are they going to eat them?”
“I don’t know”
“They're going to eat them, aren’t
they?
“Yes.”
“And we couldn’t help them because then they'd
eat us too.”
“Yes.”
“And that's why we couldn’t help them.”
“Yes”.
“Okay.” (pg. 194)
Indirect
characterization
Throughout the book Cormac shows examples of indirect characterization,
mostly from the Father. The father is willing to kill anyone who tries to hurt
his son and him. The son on the other hand is compassionate and wants to help
others unlike his father. The boy is always trying to persuade his father to
give the people they encounter along the road some food. You will see more
indirect characterization than direct in this book; the author doesn’t say
their names or specify where they are.
2. Diction/syntax
Cormac writes in a neutral diction using standard language
and vocabulary without elaborate words. The conversations between the father
and his son are short but meaningful. Such as this one:
“What is it, papa?”
“Morels. Its morels”
“What’s Morels?”
“They’re a kind of mushroom.”
“Can you eat them?”
“Yes. Take a bite”
“Are they good?”
“Take a bite”
3.
Static
or dynamic
The protagonist in this book was The Father. The Father was
a static character because he didn’t really change at all. His goal was to keep
his son safe and protected at all times and that’s exactly what he did. The son
however is a dynamic character. At the beginning, he would just pout and cry
whenever his father did something he disagreed on. Eventually he persuaded his
father into helping out a man. The boy later on understood why his father had
done those things and why. In reality every boy must mature and grow up just
like the boy did.
4.
A character I felt like I had met was the boy. Just
like him I too would have wanted to help out the people I would encounter along
the road. While reading the book I felt like I too was in for the journey alongside
the father and his boy. I would always think of my dad as the main character in
this book because I know he too would protect me and do whatever it takes to
keep me safe. (not sure about the killing part)
5.
The most memorable part about this book would
probably be the love the father has for his son. Cormac did an amazing job in
doing so. We can all relate to that in my opinion, whether it’s your mom or you
dad you know they both care and love for you. An idea I will always remember from
this book is too never give up. Even though the father knew he would die pretty
soon he didn’t give up or quit traveling to their destination. He was probably
just as afraid as his son was at times, (maybe even a bit more) but that still didn’t
stop him either, he faced all the awful and challenging trials he encountered,
he carried “The Fire” all the way till his death. Overall this book/movie was
really great and I enjoyed it all the way. If your looking for something suspenseful
and exciting, this is totally a book to read.
