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Cormac Mccarthy Code Of Ethics In The Road

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The thrilling novel “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy is a story about a post apocalyptic world following the lives of a man and a boy as they head south to escape the cold winter that is headed their way. Along with the cold of winter approaching they also have to deal with the new dangers of the land while traveling such as cannibals, robbers, and many more dangers. This is a tale of a unnamed man and a boy who must not only learn how to survive but find a inner “fire”, establish a code of ethic, and continue in finding reasons to live in this “new world”. With McCarthy’s unique approach to the characters of the book having no names or the cause of destruction of the world unknown it helps the reader feel the confusion and whats really important …show more content…

One of the biggest obstacles is the cannibals in this new post apocalyptic world, to the boy and the man they are described and called the “bad guys”. The code of ethics that the man and the boy follow isn't the as the “old world rules” where laws exist, government, and they have to abide by doing right toward others. The code of ethics they follow have to be chosen, and it is a path many don't chose in this “new world”. The man and boy are living just the two of them, not looking to hurt anyone else unless their lives are being threaten and even then the boy doesn't like to hurt others. The man does at time do some things that the boy doesn't like, and can look like he is turning out to become a bad guy, yet it is necessary steps to ensure their safety. In one part of the book after a encounter with a group of cannibals were the man has to shoot the cannibal to get away, the man tells the boy, ”[MAN] ‘You wanted to know what the bad guys looked like. Now you know. It may happen again. My jobs to take care of you I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you. Do you understand?’… [BOY] ‘Are we still the good guys?’he said. [MAN] ‘Yes. We’re still the good guys.’ [BOY] ‘And we always will be.’ [MAN] ‘Yes. We always will be.’” (77). The man and the boy both have similar code of ethics because the man is teaching his son how to survive in this world, they believe its okay that they go into houses and take what they need so long as no one is their, not to rob others, if possible to avoid contact with other people, and many others that involve just staying away from others and trying to live. However, even though they do these things together the boy does show signs of some different ethics than the father has, for example the boy will question if they should be taking things, then he says after finding the

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McCarthy incorporates many religious references into this passage in order to show how the man has resurrected as a new being—one who has moved on from the death of the past, forgiving himself. Beginning at line 30, the man falls asleep in front of the fire “with his hands palm up before him like some dozing penitent” (XXX) Not only are his palms up—similar to Christ’s palms on the cross, but the narrator compares the man to a penitent, one who repents their sins and is seeking forgiveness from God. After the man shuts the wolf’s eyes—a spiritual act in itself—the man imagines the wolf running once again, alive as ever, far from death. This new life serves as a resurrection just like the resurrection Christ had after his death, representing the man’s new understanding of the world; opening his eyes even when they are

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An example of this scenario is when they find abandoned properties and the boy warns his father about going inside of homes and exploring the different rooms including a basement that held people captive and abused. Pizzino agrees with the idea of the boy being a messiah who looks out for his father’s best interest when stating, “the boy’s existence is an equivocal good, and that anything done in the service of this good has divine “warrant””(361). In making this statement, Pizzino insists that the boy is a considered an authority figure who allows the permission of specific events. The author of this article also reminds his audience that the only company the man and boy have is each other. McCarthy provides more information when he writes, “He knew only that the child was his warrant.

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