The Role Of Morality In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

The night is gelid, covering the silver earth from the underneath of the grimy shoes of a hollowed figure. The figure rises, and gazes over at his son, seemingly joining the smudged rubble. He then shifted his attention towards the pistol that rested gently in his hands. A single bullet was encased in the pistol, nearly rusted in its place. That individual cartridge had caused the man enough dilemma to ponder as to why he should continue to live. His courage and the little strength he had left was showcased in Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece novel, The Road. The folio’s piece is based upon a dystopian America, where a father and son endeavor to survive. Through their survival, they learn crucial morals, or themes, that not only shape the story, but can be applied to our mundane lives. (“Cormac McCarthy: A Biography”). A presented theme that is beautifully connected to the story is the motif of morality. The combination of this concept and the novel creates a thought …show more content…
In precedent, the two stumble upon a cellar that holds “crate upon crate of canned goods”. (McCarthy 138). The man is immediately sold to the idea of staying, and discontinues to his morals without further evaluation to if the food was theirs to salvage. Once again, as his father begins to act out of a personal perspective, the boy starts contemplate if they were allowing themselves to do the right thing. Immediately, the man discloses to his son and assures him that the previous owners have passed away. As anticipated, the boy insists that both he and his father should thank the people who had left the food, as something a “good guy” would do. Corresponding their confrontation with a corrupted humanity, the boy continues to base his decisions on natural decency. The man brings it upon himself label his son as “carrying the fire” to express his admirable perspective on