Metacognitive Reader --> WARNING: Contains Spoilers
As I began reading The Road, I was instantly sucked into the tragic story of love and survival in a post-apocalyptic world. A boy and his father are on a journey south to elude the approaching chill of winter and to discover a sanctuary of safety away from the darkness that is their world. The man and the boy are confronted with numerous trials whilst traveling to the south. Hunger (as a result of the destruction of all the animals and plants on the earth), cannibals (those who survived nuclear warfare that killed the world, but are left with almost nothing to eat besides each other), and environmental/mental roadblocks are a few of the many struggles the man and the boy are faced with. Together, they carry humanity on their shoulders and unwavering hope in their hearts.
Throughout the book, the author Cormac McCarthy uses several development methods to appeal to the reader. The use of imagery is quite clear throughout the entire book. For example, when telling the boy what the world was like before nuclear warfare, the man attempts to paint a picture of a trout by stating, “You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes.” (Cormac). The author also uses various plot elements such as suspense to keep the reader engaged in the book. The masterful use of suspense resulted in me being unable to put the book down and even had me looking ahead to see if the man and the boy would be okay. The story focused on the present issues the characters were facing thus leaving the future a mystery. A new twist or turn could be taken on every page because in the environment the boy and the man are facing, one false move could result in their demise.
Though many lessons can be learned from this piece, the main message that made itself known to me is that human nature will always find hope even when there is none present. The entire book is about the journey a man and a boy are taking to find a better situation. Neither characters know if the place to which they are traveling is better or if it actually exists. I believe that deep down, they are even aware that their destination won’t be what they hope it will be. Though both the man and the boy know the end of their journey won’t be what they’ve convinced themselves and each other of, they’ve dug deep inside themselves and found hope that it could be better. Throughout the piece, the man and the boy constantly discuss a curious concept which they refer to as “the fire”. Now the fire could represent a few things: love, faith, or even human nature. I have personally concluded that I think the fire represents hope. When the boy is having a rough time while traveling the road, the man motivates him by saying, “You have to carry the fire.”. When asked by the boy where the fire is and if it is even real, the man replies, “It's inside you. It always was there. I can see it.” (Cormac). Hope is the fire burning inside these two strong individuals and what sets them apart from the others. The other humans on the earth had resorted to cannibalism because of the hunger they were faced with- these humans lost hope. Because the boy and the man have that firey hope burning inside them, they have confidence that they will be somehow be supplied with everything they need one way or another. They both know this desperate mindset is borderline crazy- the man even states that “There is no God and we are his prophets.” Cormac) which is a contradictory statement implying that they are putting hope and faith in a God/destination that doesn’t exist and are dedicating their lives to following/finding said God/destination.
Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to anybody looking for a piece that unveils human nature and contains many symbols and double meanings. The book contained many positive aspects, but unfortunately also negative. For example, though it is the author’s writing style, it still bothered me that he failed to use punctuation throughout the piece making it very hard to read. The amount of repetition in the book also begins to make the story a bit dull- the author constantly writes deep, direct descriptions concerning the characters and setting which gets boring after awhile . The vocabulary throughout the piece is lacking and the character development is nonexistent. The repetition, punctuation, vocabulary, and dullness of the story leads me to question whether The Road is actually a piece of literary merit. However, literary merit is characterized by the fact that it does not follow the rules of writing, but yet provides artistic insight. The Road obviously does not conform to the rules of writing on many levels and undoubtedly provides the reader with insight on human nature. Whether the piece is of literary merit or not is up to the reader, but either way The Road is a fantastic, dark book that will have the reader unable to put it down.
Throughout the book, the author Cormac McCarthy uses several development methods to appeal to the reader. The use of imagery is quite clear throughout the entire book. For example, when telling the boy what the world was like before nuclear warfare, the man attempts to paint a picture of a trout by stating, “You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes.” (Cormac). The author also uses various plot elements such as suspense to keep the reader engaged in the book. The masterful use of suspense resulted in me being unable to put the book down and even had me looking ahead to see if the man and the boy would be okay. The story focused on the present issues the characters were facing thus leaving the future a mystery. A new twist or turn could be taken on every page because in the environment the boy and the man are facing, one false move could result in their demise.
Though many lessons can be learned from this piece, the main message that made itself known to me is that human nature will always find hope even when there is none present. The entire book is about the journey a man and a boy are taking to find a better situation. Neither characters know if the place to which they are traveling is better or if it actually exists. I believe that deep down, they are even aware that their destination won’t be what they hope it will be. Though both the man and the boy know the end of their journey won’t be what they’ve convinced themselves and each other of, they’ve dug deep inside themselves and found hope that it could be better. Throughout the piece, the man and the boy constantly discuss a curious concept which they refer to as “the fire”. Now the fire could represent a few things: love, faith, or even human nature. I have personally concluded that I think the fire represents hope. When the boy is having a rough time while traveling the road, the man motivates him by saying, “You have to carry the fire.”. When asked by the boy where the fire is and if it is even real, the man replies, “It's inside you. It always was there. I can see it.” (Cormac). Hope is the fire burning inside these two strong individuals and what sets them apart from the others. The other humans on the earth had resorted to cannibalism because of the hunger they were faced with- these humans lost hope. Because the boy and the man have that firey hope burning inside them, they have confidence that they will be somehow be supplied with everything they need one way or another. They both know this desperate mindset is borderline crazy- the man even states that “There is no God and we are his prophets.” Cormac) which is a contradictory statement implying that they are putting hope and faith in a God/destination that doesn’t exist and are dedicating their lives to following/finding said God/destination.
Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to anybody looking for a piece that unveils human nature and contains many symbols and double meanings. The book contained many positive aspects, but unfortunately also negative. For example, though it is the author’s writing style, it still bothered me that he failed to use punctuation throughout the piece making it very hard to read. The amount of repetition in the book also begins to make the story a bit dull- the author constantly writes deep, direct descriptions concerning the characters and setting which gets boring after awhile . The vocabulary throughout the piece is lacking and the character development is nonexistent. The repetition, punctuation, vocabulary, and dullness of the story leads me to question whether The Road is actually a piece of literary merit. However, literary merit is characterized by the fact that it does not follow the rules of writing, but yet provides artistic insight. The Road obviously does not conform to the rules of writing on many levels and undoubtedly provides the reader with insight on human nature. Whether the piece is of literary merit or not is up to the reader, but either way The Road is a fantastic, dark book that will have the reader unable to put it down.
Questions for Discussion:
What does the fire in the book symbolize?
What do you think happens to the boy and his new friends?
Is the book foreshadowing what could happen to us in the future?
What kind of level of disparity drives an individual to eat another human?
Are you carrying the fire? How can one obtain the fire? Can the fire go out?
What do you think happens to the boy and his new friends?
Is the book foreshadowing what could happen to us in the future?
What kind of level of disparity drives an individual to eat another human?
Are you carrying the fire? How can one obtain the fire? Can the fire go out?