Morality In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

One single moment can drastically change an individual's entire perspective and values forever. A change in circumstances can completely alter a person's priorities and goals in life. It's not uncommon for people to go through life looking out for their own interests. A person who sacrifices their interests with an unselfish motive in order to help someone else can sometimes rarely be found in the real world, especially if that individual is a stranger. The man in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is at first just like any other individual. He doesn’t necessarily have any competing demands save maybe his wife. After the man's son is born though, his entire life and priorities change. The man comes to love his own son so much so that he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect him both physically and mentally from the cruel world that …show more content…
Most of the individuals are portrayed as very animalistic and selfish. The bearded man for example is assumed to be a cannibal and he is willing to do whatever it takes to survive, including take the boy hostage. There are many other instances where cannibalism is blatantly insinuated. This is key to setting the atmosphere to the this dark new world. The people here are willing to do anything to survive including eat other people. Morality is almost non-existent. In one part of the book the man and the boy find a cooked baby. This is probably one of the best examples that attest the extent of the lack of morality. These people are willing to kill, cook and eat their own child in order to survive. The love of the world is almost all gone. This is a strong contrast to the man and serves to highlight the love he has for the boy. Even though everyone else around him acts animalistic and only cares for the desires of themselves the man is the complete opposite. His love for his child is unmatched by anything else and moves him to sacrifice himself whenever