“Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.” This quote by Cormac McCarthy refers to the main conflict present in The Road: the need to survive and to persevere through the challenges the characters encounter. Along their journey, a father and son discover more about their morals and values and how to continue on in dire circumstances. In The Road, McCarthy develops moral dilemmas using character development and imagery in order to show that destruction and death can exist alongside tenderness and kindness.
Throughout The Road, a father and son must persevere through dilemmas they face and survive while keeping their morals intact. At one point in the story, the boy begins to question whether they are still honorable. This …show more content…
It is first established when they cross paths with an old man who says, “I live like an animal. You don’t want to know the things I’ve eaten” (172). Although the man does not directly declare that he has resorted to cannibalism, it is implied in his statement. While wandering through the woods, the father and son also encounter a small group of people that are so keen on surviving, they plan to eat a newborn child. This situation once again raises the dilemma of whether the father and son should maintain their morals or eat another human in order to survive. The boy questions their mindset when he asks, “We wouldn’t ever eat anybody, would we?” (129). However, this dilemma is quickly resolved when his father agrees that they would never resort to cannibalism, even if they were …show more content…
This moment aids in the development of the father because it shows that unlike other times they have encountered humans, the father is not willing to aid others if it poses a threat to their own lives. However, the dilemma of helping others is reconsidered at other moments in The Road, and in several instances, the boy is able to persuade his father into aiding others. The boy’s generosity and compassion are developed when an old man stumbles across their path, as well as when the boy repeatedly states "I’d give that little boy half my food", after seeing another little boy (86). Even in the midst of destruction and starvation, the boy takes pity on others and tries to help them however he can, even if it may bring harm to
Throughout The Road, a father and son must persevere through dilemmas they face and survive while keeping their morals intact. At one point in the story, the boy begins to question whether they are still honorable. This …show more content…
It is first established when they cross paths with an old man who says, “I live like an animal. You don’t want to know the things I’ve eaten” (172). Although the man does not directly declare that he has resorted to cannibalism, it is implied in his statement. While wandering through the woods, the father and son also encounter a small group of people that are so keen on surviving, they plan to eat a newborn child. This situation once again raises the dilemma of whether the father and son should maintain their morals or eat another human in order to survive. The boy questions their mindset when he asks, “We wouldn’t ever eat anybody, would we?” (129). However, this dilemma is quickly resolved when his father agrees that they would never resort to cannibalism, even if they were …show more content…
This moment aids in the development of the father because it shows that unlike other times they have encountered humans, the father is not willing to aid others if it poses a threat to their own lives. However, the dilemma of helping others is reconsidered at other moments in The Road, and in several instances, the boy is able to persuade his father into aiding others. The boy’s generosity and compassion are developed when an old man stumbles across their path, as well as when the boy repeatedly states "I’d give that little boy half my food", after seeing another little boy (86). Even in the midst of destruction and starvation, the boy takes pity on others and tries to help them however he can, even if it may bring harm to