The father-son relationship is one of the most important mentorships and friendships in a young boy’s life. In the popular TV series, The Walking Dead, the relationship between Rick Grimes and his son, Carl, helps drive the plot as Carl puts Rick in danger at some points. Rick serves as a role model and protector for his son and this relationship is also examined and amplified by the man and the boy in The Road by Cormac McCarthy. While analyzing the novel, a contrast is created between love and danger as seen through the caring father-son relationship and the strain that is put on each character to prove that love conquers hardships faced during stressful situations.
The man and the boy have an obviously close and loving relationship. The …show more content…
Having an extra person to feed is a big strain upon the man, as he had to find twice the amount of food. Ensuring that the boy was safe was also a big burden for the man. In the beginning of the story, the boy was very immature. For example, when he saw another little boy near some cabins, he went yelling and screaming after him in order to try to get his attention and play with him. The novel says, “Do you want to die? Is that what you want? I dont care, the boy said, sobbing. I dont care. The man stopped. He stopped and squatted and held him. I’m sorry he said. Dont say that. You musnt say that” (85). This put both him and the man in significant danger, as it was possible that the boy’s family were cannibals. This example of imagery and dialogue displays how immature the boy still is. The man must explain to him how much danger they were put in due to his actions. The dialogue shows how the relationship can be difficult at some times because the tone is very juxtaposed. He is very angry with the boy for running after the other child, but once he sees how visibly upset the boy is, he realizes that he needs to be caring and calm the boy down. The man had to put a lot of effort throughout the story to make sure that the boy did not get both of them killed. The boy was also a threat for the man because he could be used as bait to lure the man into capturing. For instance, when they encountered the man in the woods, that man grabbed the boy in order to prevent the man from shooting him, which the man does anyway. People could use the man’s love for the boy to lure him into danger. We can see the boy begin to mature as the story goes on. The man develops the boy and his values until the end of the story, where it is evident that the man is beginning to wither away. The relationship shifts here, as now the boy begins to take care of the man, and the man becomes a burden for the boy. The image of
The man and the boy have an obviously close and loving relationship. The …show more content…
Having an extra person to feed is a big strain upon the man, as he had to find twice the amount of food. Ensuring that the boy was safe was also a big burden for the man. In the beginning of the story, the boy was very immature. For example, when he saw another little boy near some cabins, he went yelling and screaming after him in order to try to get his attention and play with him. The novel says, “Do you want to die? Is that what you want? I dont care, the boy said, sobbing. I dont care. The man stopped. He stopped and squatted and held him. I’m sorry he said. Dont say that. You musnt say that” (85). This put both him and the man in significant danger, as it was possible that the boy’s family were cannibals. This example of imagery and dialogue displays how immature the boy still is. The man must explain to him how much danger they were put in due to his actions. The dialogue shows how the relationship can be difficult at some times because the tone is very juxtaposed. He is very angry with the boy for running after the other child, but once he sees how visibly upset the boy is, he realizes that he needs to be caring and calm the boy down. The man had to put a lot of effort throughout the story to make sure that the boy did not get both of them killed. The boy was also a threat for the man because he could be used as bait to lure the man into capturing. For instance, when they encountered the man in the woods, that man grabbed the boy in order to prevent the man from shooting him, which the man does anyway. People could use the man’s love for the boy to lure him into danger. We can see the boy begin to mature as the story goes on. The man develops the boy and his values until the end of the story, where it is evident that the man is beginning to wither away. The relationship shifts here, as now the boy begins to take care of the man, and the man becomes a burden for the boy. The image of