Father And Son In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

In Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a father and son are trying to survive an apocalypse, which demonstrates the strong relationship they develop throughout their journey to survive. The boy’s father says that, “His job is to take care of the boy. He was appointed to do that by God. He will kill anyone who touches the boy” (McCarthy 77). The father makes it clear that his number one priority in life is his son and to protect him at all costs. The father would even kill anyone that comes across the boy’s path, just to protect his son. As the road rat puts a knife to the boy’s throat, the man swings at the road rat and “levels the pistol and fires” (McCarthy 66). As soon as the road rat captures the boy and puts a knife to his throat, the father’s

The father says, “If they find you you are going to have to do it. Do you understand? Shh. No crying. Do you hear me? You put it in your mouth and point it up. Do it quick and hard” (McCarthy 113). The father wants the boy to take his gun and to shoot himself if the ‘bad guys’ come in order to protect him. He would rather have the boy end his life quick and painless instead of being tortured by the ‘bad guys’. The father faces internal conflict when asking himself if he can kill his own son to protect him: “Can you do it? When the time comes there will be no time. Now is the time. Curse God and die. What if it doesn’t fire? ... Could you crush that beloved skull with a rock? Is there such a being within you of which you know nothing? Can there be? Hold him in your arms. Just so. The soul is quick. Pull him toward you and kiss him” (McCarthy 114). The father thinks long and hard about killing the boy to end his life of suffering, but keeps making excuses not to kill him and questions whether or not he can do it when the time comes. The father realizes that his love for the boy is too strong and he cannot find himself capable enough to end his own child’s