The Road by Cormac Mccarthy
Jenny L.
Mrs. Johnson
AP English 4
February 22, 2014
The Road by Cormac McCarthy Research Paper Imagine a world where the skies are grey and the ground is torn to pieces. Where there is no civilization present, nor another human being to be seen. Where the feeling of hunger influences you to consider the idea of human flesh filling your insides and persuading you to do so. A world infested with murder, crime, and despair—which have now become necessary for survival. Imagine the air thick with black clouds towering over your very essence and having to muddle through 10 feet of snow and a strong gust of wind. A world where all faith should be gone, but amiss all bad things, it continues to linger through the eyes of the youth. Being able to see the light when your surroundings are pitch black signifies that humanity has not been lost completely. Although, the man knows in his heart that death is inevitable and dangerously close, he continues to live for the sake of the boy whom he believes carries the final hope for humanity. In Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the author conveys that although there can be despair and bloodshed in the world, love overcomes all with a little faith. The man views the boy as a symbol for hope and provides the man with a purpose in life, to protect the boy above all.
Violence is the antagonist in the novel because the people are driven into thievery, murder, and cannibalism because of the post-apocalyptic landscape. Food is scarce and people are starving, and consequently, people turn to thievery as a way to fend for themselves. At this point in time, stealing is not a crime anymore. There is no government, there are no regulations, and all is fair game. When the man says that he will protect the boy at any cost, it is not an understatement. When a member of a bloodcult posed a threat to the boy, the man did not so much as fidget to reach for the safety of his weapon. Without overthinking, the man shot the degenerate dead before his
Mrs. Johnson
AP English 4
February 22, 2014
The Road by Cormac McCarthy Research Paper Imagine a world where the skies are grey and the ground is torn to pieces. Where there is no civilization present, nor another human being to be seen. Where the feeling of hunger influences you to consider the idea of human flesh filling your insides and persuading you to do so. A world infested with murder, crime, and despair—which have now become necessary for survival. Imagine the air thick with black clouds towering over your very essence and having to muddle through 10 feet of snow and a strong gust of wind. A world where all faith should be gone, but amiss all bad things, it continues to linger through the eyes of the youth. Being able to see the light when your surroundings are pitch black signifies that humanity has not been lost completely. Although, the man knows in his heart that death is inevitable and dangerously close, he continues to live for the sake of the boy whom he believes carries the final hope for humanity. In Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the author conveys that although there can be despair and bloodshed in the world, love overcomes all with a little faith. The man views the boy as a symbol for hope and provides the man with a purpose in life, to protect the boy above all.
Violence is the antagonist in the novel because the people are driven into thievery, murder, and cannibalism because of the post-apocalyptic landscape. Food is scarce and people are starving, and consequently, people turn to thievery as a way to fend for themselves. At this point in time, stealing is not a crime anymore. There is no government, there are no regulations, and all is fair game. When the man says that he will protect the boy at any cost, it is not an understatement. When a member of a bloodcult posed a threat to the boy, the man did not so much as fidget to reach for the safety of his weapon. Without overthinking, the man shot the degenerate dead before his
Cited: Barrera, Cordelia E. "The Road." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. COOPER, LYDIA. "Cormac Mccarthy 's The Road As Apocalyptic Grail Narrative." Studies In The Novel 43.2 (2011): 218-236. Literary Reference Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Random House Inc., 2006. Print.