In the book THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy, we partake in a journey with a boy and his father, and the experiences they encounter throughout the book. We learn about the deteriorated planet they live on and the boy’s ever changing thoughts about his dad. Throughout the book, the boy questions his father 's judgement. McCarthy argues developing a sense of trust is key to survival in life threatening situations.
Early in the book, the boy has little experience with the harsh outside world, he is trusting in everyone but his father knows best, and does what he can to protect him. The father examines everyone right as he sees them, and the boy learns to do the same. “Like an animal inside a skull looking out the eyeholes” (McCarthy 63). McCarthy compares the man he sees to an animal in skull, doing this, gives the reader a grim feeling about the man. The use of a simile also helps us learn how Papa evaluates the man, determining if he is trusting or not, and in this case he is anything but trusting. “The man fell back instantly and lay with blood bubbling from the hole in his forehead” (McCarthy 66). McCarthy’s imagery paints a vivid picture of the bullet wound in the man’s head, whom Papa had just
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They boy slowly develops a sense of who to trust and who not to trust. This sense of trust was based off of the choices his father made, and his own, thus allowing decisions to be made using the knowledge learned, and a personal opinion, to make the best decision possible. In dire situations, trust with another is essential to survival, but when that person does not exist, use the knowledge you have learned about trust to make the best decision possible. When we are young we use our parents to guide us through life, but when we become adults, we must use our knowledge we have learned from our parents, and the knowledge we 've learned throughout our life to make the right