Analysis Of The Road By Cormac Mccarthy

A definition of being a human means having and showing emotions for things. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, was published in 2006 and winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. This book tells a story of an unnamed catastrophe that has struck the world. A journey is taken by a young boy and his father who travel through the rough terrain of the United States. McCarthy uses the setting of an apocalyptic world to illustrate how the presence of compassion and forgiveness overcome evil and create a change of perspective. Because of Papa’s survival instinct and his leaving and not aiding others, he is perceived as a figure of evil. Papa’s lack of compassion towards the man who got struck by lighting shows his survival mentality that is “every man for …show more content…
First, McCarthy uses a simile to describe the effects of the wildfire that had burned through the forest. He mentions “the smoke coming off the ground like mist and thin black trees burning on the slopes like stands of heathen candles” (48-50). The description of the mist illustrates how even though the fire went out there is still heat coming from the road's surface. This is important because as it was described the old man was walking through that road. He also uses a simile to describe what the trees looked after the massive fire. This is important because the simile is more descriptive about what the old man had gone through, making the readers feel compassion for the man. Second, when Papa witnessed the old man was still alive, Papa did not do anything to help him. The old man condition was described as “dragging one leg slightly and stopping from time to time… He was burntlooking as the country, his clothing scorched and black. One of his eyes was burnt shut and his hair was but a nitty wig of ash upon his blackened skull”. Next, Papa was convinced that there was nothing to do for old man and leaving him would be best. Papa’s extreme presence of determination to survive turns him into to an evil presence. In a different point of view, Papa can be considered as one of the bad guys because leaving the old man would just result in him dying or being caught by the bad guys. Even though survival is most important, being able to leave someone with that …show more content…
The boy’s constant concern of compassion towards Ely impacts Papa to be sympathetic to Ely. The Author says “An old man, small and bent... If this is an ambush he goes first, he said. He’s just scared, Papa. Tell him we won’t hurt him… We can’t stay here. We have to go. He’s scared, Papa. I don’t think you should touch him. Maybe we could give him something to eat… The boy took the tin and handed it to the old man. The old man raised his eyes and looked at the boy… You should thank him you know, the man said. I wouldn’t have given you anything… set out with his cane, tapping his way, dwindling slowly on the road behind them like some storybook peddler from an antique time, dark and bent and spider thin and soon to vanish forever.” (McCarthy, 163-174). First, the old man is described as small, old, and bent which show that he is weak. Papa starts off being extremely cautious about his surrounding and is suspicious of Ely. Even though Papa does not trust Ely and feels that he is dangerous, the boy is feeling the exact opposite. Instead, the boy tries to talk to Ely and make him feel safe by showing concern. The boy felt so compassionate for Ely that he begged Papa to give Ely some food. After Ely is given food he is surprised for what the boy has done. Afterwards, Ely starts getting comfortable with Papa and the boy which makes him start talking to them by