The ManThroughout the book, the man's name is never revealed thus he is referred to only as "the man". He has an unknown illness that causes him to cough up blood; the sickness worsens as the book goes on. He is the father of the boy with whom he has a very close relationship with. He is very protective of the boy and loves him with his whole being which we can see by the sacrifices he makes throughout the book. He has dedicated himself to the boy in hopes of keeping him alive. Every thought and action by this man all have the same purpose- to keep the boy safe. Throughout the boy's lifetime, the man has taught him survival techniques and has educated him on important life lessons all with the goal of preparing the boy for when the man dies. We are told that the man was once married to the boy's mother, but she left them because of the trials she knew they would face on the road ahead.
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The BoySimilar to the man, the boy's name is never revealed in the book thus he is referred to as "the boy". He is the son of the man with whom he has a very close relationship with. The boy is selfless and caring of others which we can infer from the multiple times he has wanted to help random strangers he and the man have passed on the road. The boy's goal in life is to be a good guy. He is constantly asking his father if they're still carrying the fire and if there is any way to help the people they pass. The boy's will to survive is entirely dependent on the man. The boy does not want to live in a world the man is not part of. As he grows up and becomes more educated throughout the book, the boy begins to become his own person able to live without his father. When his father eventually dies, the boy is strong enough to move on and continue living which he would not have been able to do at the beginning of the book.
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