“Does belief in God influence decisions?” This question and many others are asked by countless readers after experiencing what is Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. This thrilling post-apocalyptic novel follows the journey of a nameless father and son traveling down a long road after what can only be described as the end of the world as we know it. It centers around their fight for survival and their quest to find somewhere in this new world that’s safe. In the background of the gritty feature is the constant thought of God and his influence on moral decisions. McCarthy illustrates through the choices made by the characters how belief in God or lack thereof molds someone’s personal decisions and maybe even slants their moral compass in different …show more content…
He whispered. Will I finally see you at last? Have you a neck by which to throttle you? Have you a heart? Damn you eternally have you a soul? [Sic] Oh god. He whispered. Oh god” (11). “The father’s anger at his condition-what he fears might prove a fatal illness-and his fear of the fate of his son is akin to that of many victims of suffering throughout the bible-especially Job. That he should place the blame on God…” (Alex Kane). While this grim and dark attack on an omnipotent being seems to be rooted in anger and depression the reader can take a slightly lighter approach towards it. The father speaks to God, giving him human characteristics and talking to him like he’s there. To be mad at God suggests there may be some belief in him in the first place. The reader cannot determine indefinitely if the father believes that there is a God or if he dismisses him as nothing but a figment, but the idea of him comes into play at many other crucial points of moral and ethical …show more content…
The father and son meet this disheveled, grumpy old man while he is shuffling toward them down the road. Not coincidentally, he shares a name with a biblical prophet of olden times. But that is all he shares with him. Ely comes across as an anti-prophet. He denounces God and says that he will die out with the rest of the human race. “There is no God and we are his prophets.” (McCarthy 237). This point illustrates that the disbelief in God, accompanied by tragic and devastating events, can make someone cold and hopeless. The son, once again showing his selflessness, showers the hermit with their scarce supplies and Ely is not grateful in the least for this