“Because we’re carrying the fire”: A brief analysis of how Cormac McCarthy displays a world without societal pressures in juxtaposition with his protagonist's ethical dilemmas
Cormac McCarthy sets the scene of The Road in a brutal post apocalyptic world where most humans have resorted to stealing, murder and cannibalism for survival. His story revolves around two characters, a man and a boy, who fight for their own lives, while also claiming they are acting as “the good guys.” The man in the novel is in disregard for conventional laws, but his corrupt actions are justified by his undying protection of the boy. The man’s son ruminates on ethics more deeply than the man does and holds the higher moral standards in the form of compassion. The question of what should be considered as right in a world not governed by laws resonates throughout the novel. However, McCarthy portrays the protagonist boy in the story as representing the virtues of God in order to demonstrate that benevolence is how humans naturally act without societal influences. The novel implies that the boy’s age is less than ten because of his straightforward communication and his reliance on …show more content…
This old society ultimately failed because it resulted in destruction and cannibalism of the human race. Because of the implosion of the man’s generation, the boy in a new generation will contribute to a fresh start in the world. McCarthy displays this through the boy’s increasing opposition to his father, especially when his father dies and the boy is left to decide his own ethical crossroads. Once again the text finds a biblical reference in this quote from Luke 3:16, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Symbolically, the boy is a fresh start, and because he was born inherently good, his natural actions will help spread “the fire” that he is
Cormac McCarthy sets the scene of The Road in a brutal post apocalyptic world where most humans have resorted to stealing, murder and cannibalism for survival. His story revolves around two characters, a man and a boy, who fight for their own lives, while also claiming they are acting as “the good guys.” The man in the novel is in disregard for conventional laws, but his corrupt actions are justified by his undying protection of the boy. The man’s son ruminates on ethics more deeply than the man does and holds the higher moral standards in the form of compassion. The question of what should be considered as right in a world not governed by laws resonates throughout the novel. However, McCarthy portrays the protagonist boy in the story as representing the virtues of God in order to demonstrate that benevolence is how humans naturally act without societal influences. The novel implies that the boy’s age is less than ten because of his straightforward communication and his reliance on …show more content…
This old society ultimately failed because it resulted in destruction and cannibalism of the human race. Because of the implosion of the man’s generation, the boy in a new generation will contribute to a fresh start in the world. McCarthy displays this through the boy’s increasing opposition to his father, especially when his father dies and the boy is left to decide his own ethical crossroads. Once again the text finds a biblical reference in this quote from Luke 3:16, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Symbolically, the boy is a fresh start, and because he was born inherently good, his natural actions will help spread “the fire” that he is