In Cormac McCarthy’s novel, The Road, the story follows a man and a boy who struggle with the repercussions of living in a post-apocalyptic United States. Throughout the novel, there are many physical obstacles they have to overcome, such as hunger and disease. Cannibals and street thugs who kill other survivors run rampant through the wilderness as well. Although they have close encounters with all of these things, the man tries to protect the boy from physical harm. The surrounding culture of killing, cannibalism, and survival can leave lasting emotional and psychological effects on the people who live within that culture. It is evident that the boy has been affected by the surrounding culture through his fear of exploring buildings, his emotional attachment to and trust of and compassion towards other people, and his strong abhorrence towards thievery or taking what does not belong to him and his father.…