Symbolism In The Road By Cormac Mccarthy

Hope is a feeling of expectation or desire for a certain thing to happen. In The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, the Man and Boy are forced to rely on hope and persistency in order to survive in the apocalyptic world they’re living in. Throughout the novel, there are many symbols to represent hope; such as the bunker, the ocean, and the fire. Having hope can give one the ability to persevere through hardship. First, the bunker gives them hope to overcome starvation. Hunger was one major issue they faced in the novel. Running out of food was described as, “They were starving right enough. The country was looted, ransacked, ravaged. Rifled of every crumb" (McCarthy 129). Their urgency to find food is shown through alliteration and imagery. This word choice puts emphasis on their problem. Starvation forced them to be persistent and …show more content…
The Man and Boy experienced many evils, such as theft and cannibalism, throughout the novel. Someone they encountered had killed their own baby, “What the boy had seen was a charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit” (McCarthy 198). The Man and Boy had numerous encounters with death and evil, but were persistent and kept going. They had a strong motivation to find those who were carrying the fire. Using this as a symbol of hope reminded them to never give up. The fire also gave them hope that humane and well intentioned people still exist. Before the man died he had a conversation with the boy; “‘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 always was there. I can see it’” (McCarthy 279). The fire was a major symbol in the novel, representing hope, and the good nature in people. The fire gave them hope that good still existed in the world, and ambition to find