The Road By: Cormac McCarthy
Finding hope is impossible when everything around you decays in quick succession and you have no one to rely on. The father and son in the novel are also in search of hope and a place to live the rest of their lives. Cormac McCarthy describes America not as a land of opportunity anymore rather in appearance now it looks like a deserted land with no hope for anyone. Such places of course are not ideal for people to live and most of the inhabitants have left or have perished.
Those who still remain are facing tough circumstances and by the look of things they too are going to perish quite soon. The father and son have a strong bonding and that is what keeping them alive mostly, they know that the situation is tough and there is no chances of improvement but they have love to live for. Their walking together towards the coast without specific purpose is symbolic and so is the rest of the tale. The two main characters present two ideal figures for others to see and follow.
The author has left his own creations like Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men far behind in competition. Whether it is human emotions or a passion to survive the novel has everything. Even the title of the novel is a symbol; “The Road” stands as a path on which the two main characters walk together. Not to forget Tom Stechschulte’s role in narration which is good but two narrators would have been more impressive because the conversation of father and son tend to mix at some stages.
The Road – TokyBook
