The Road is a post-apocalyptic novel about a nameless father and son who are traveling to the coast in the south. The author, Cormac McCarthy, neglects to inform the reader as to the causes of the apocalypse but it is inferred that it was caused by man. The nameless son was born in this world, not knowing what a pre-apocalyptic world was like but only knowing the drained world he was born into. Before the son’s mother committed suicide due to the extreme environment their family was put in, she advised them to travel south because the weather was more livable. The father and son have nothing but a pistol loaded with only two bullets to defend themselves with against the anarchic and ruthless population. In "The Road", by Cormac McCarthy, a
…show more content…
The story is centered on the relationship of the nameless father and son traveling and surviving this inhumane world. “The backstory of Mr. McCarthy's novel is deeply personal, springing from his relationship with his 11-year-old son, John, whom he had with his third wife, Jennifer” (Miller 1). The fact the McCarthy’s story is centered on a similar relationship as his and his son demonstrates how “The Road” incorporates the writer’s life within the story plot. “As death bears down in "The Road," the main character obsessively protects his son and prepares him to carry on alone: "He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God, God never spoke" (Miller 1). Because McCarthy has had so many poor marriages, he felt that his son was the one thing that was that was good that came out of his relationships. In this perspective, the relationship of the characters reflects how McCarthy views his son. In “The Road”, Cormac McCarthy also exhibits his perspective of the nature of …show more content…
In today’s society, people are blind as to the effects of their actions. "Whatever has caused the actual devastation, the novel argues, it is the internal corruption of people who sought too long for their own power, who placed their own needs above those of others, that has brought humanity to its doom"(Cooper 1). In this novel, McCarthy infers that the humans have caused this apocalypse due to their naïve actions, showing how the humans have brought this unescapable end to themselves. Humans always try to convince themselves that they will always persevere and do not take responsibility for their action. "... it seems to reflect the fundamental fear underlying the novel, namely, the fear that human beings may not in fact deserve to survive"(Cooper 1). This reality in the novel is connected to our 21st century society as we are destroying on another and deindividualizing one another from the blame of our collected
The story is centered on the relationship of the nameless father and son traveling and surviving this inhumane world. “The backstory of Mr. McCarthy's novel is deeply personal, springing from his relationship with his 11-year-old son, John, whom he had with his third wife, Jennifer” (Miller 1). The fact the McCarthy’s story is centered on a similar relationship as his and his son demonstrates how “The Road” incorporates the writer’s life within the story plot. “As death bears down in "The Road," the main character obsessively protects his son and prepares him to carry on alone: "He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God, God never spoke" (Miller 1). Because McCarthy has had so many poor marriages, he felt that his son was the one thing that was that was good that came out of his relationships. In this perspective, the relationship of the characters reflects how McCarthy views his son. In “The Road”, Cormac McCarthy also exhibits his perspective of the nature of …show more content…
In today’s society, people are blind as to the effects of their actions. "Whatever has caused the actual devastation, the novel argues, it is the internal corruption of people who sought too long for their own power, who placed their own needs above those of others, that has brought humanity to its doom"(Cooper 1). In this novel, McCarthy infers that the humans have caused this apocalypse due to their naïve actions, showing how the humans have brought this unescapable end to themselves. Humans always try to convince themselves that they will always persevere and do not take responsibility for their action. "... it seems to reflect the fundamental fear underlying the novel, namely, the fear that human beings may not in fact deserve to survive"(Cooper 1). This reality in the novel is connected to our 21st century society as we are destroying on another and deindividualizing one another from the blame of our collected