Road by Cormac Mccarthy

¶ … Road: Travelling the Path to Understanding Child-Parent Relationships In the book, "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy, the world has stopped, society slowly depleting itself as the world's resources do the same. The man and the boy travel in search of the ocean's edge, hearing rumors that it lacks the cannibalism and rape that the rest of the world now unfortunately knows well.

In their travels, readers are able to watch the growth of the father-son relationship, viewing both what the man has sacrificed for his son's benefit, as well as the growth the boy has into understanding and appreciating these sacrifices. Others searched for means of survival, too, such as finding food, drink, and shelter. Many have turned to cannibalism, but the man refuses to teach his boy such animosity, no matter how hungry the two become.

Early on the boy lets the readers understand the lifestyle in which they live, initiating conversation with his father by asking, "Are we going to die?" (McCarthy 10) Later in the conversation, the father foreshadows the purpose of his selfless actions, responding, "What would you do if I died?" (McCarthy 11) The man knew that if one's life ended the way it had when the world was good, he would pass far earlier than the boy.

Because of this, it was important for the man to teach the boy how to stay human, but also how to survive without him. The man no longer can keep track of time.

He tries to guess, but everything is so grey and muted that his only estimation as for the time of year is his own capabilities to measure time: "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before." (McCarthy 3) Yet he hangs on, along with a soda can, story books, and a visit to his childhood home in an attempt to teach his son that there had been a better time that this earth had seen, and that it was important to stay human unlike others.

Perhaps one day, if there were enough good people that had hung on, the world would become good again. He knew, though, the sharing of a Coca-Cola may show his son how the world once lived, but it would not teach him how to live in the future. The boy receives a lesson in survival one night after opening a can of tuna fish. The two believe someone is following them, and the boy is taught how to respond. The family hides their trash, their cart, and themselves.

Fortunately, a harmless family passes. There were not many left, so it had been good that the man had taught the boy to react in such a way, even if it was sad to be required for survival. The boy had been raised in a vicious world. He does not have the slightest clue of the wonderful world his father spoke of; the world with colors, friends, civilization. All he knows now is his father, that their end goal is the ocean, and to always be cautious.

As the two come closer to the ocean, the man becomes increasingly worse in his health. He begins to cough blood, and he has obtained an arrow in his leg. The trials that the two have along the way to the ocean are a test to the boy; teaching him what it may be like the day his father was to pass before him. "You're going to be okay Papa. You have to," the boy said, denying what had finally come. (McCarthy 278) "No I'm not.

Keep the gun with you at all times. You need to find the good guys but you can't take any chances. No chances. Do you hear?" (McCarthy 278) With one last lesson, the man tells the boy to keep the fire that is within him, knowing he will be goon soon. Quickly after, the man passes away. The boy realizes what his father had given him, despite their lack of worldly possessions, a home, or even at the end, good health.

The boy's father sacrificed his life in order to get his son to the ocean because he hoped that the ocean would be a far better place than the rest of the world. Despite his injuries, he continued on, and eventually came to his downfall. Suddenly alone, the boy puts what lessons he.