Symbolism In Cormac Mcarthy's The Road

Cormac Mcarthys The Road is often considered a post apoplectic book as it dives deeply into the idea of survival, perseverance and the idea that even in a big world it is still possible to be alone. In the book, The boy and father both experience the harsh conditions of the desilated world they know live in. Although the father does his best to protect the boy he can never truly shield him from all the bad. McCarthy introduces these problems in the book through Symbolism and Imagery making it easy to understand the boy's Internal conflict that causes him to question whether or not he is able to keep going without his father. While the boy may feel like he can not be alone in the world, the man still wants him to keep going while being the

This allows readers to understand that you have to keep moving forward and continue to love, show compassion, persevere and do what is morally right. Though the boy and father's journey on the road isn't perfect, they are able to survive in a burned landscape. Together they teach each other, and despite being so different, they are the same in that they both love and preserve together. Even after trying so hard to protect the boy, the father eventually gives in knowing the boy can make it out on his own. As a result, in his last few days he tells the boy that he must continue to "carry the fire” which the boy responds with, “I don’t know how to.” This is the father's last way of imparting wisdom and qualities to the boy. He encourages the boy to strive to be a better person even when surrounded by evil and despair such as the cannibals. Although the boy may think he can't continue, he is wrong. Throughout the book the boy displays kindness to everyone they meet and no matter what the person may have done he sees them no differently. The fire symbolizes the boy's compassion and morals throughout the book and how he always finds a way to keep hoping. The boy knows his father must die but can not bear to lose him. He doesn't want to leave, but knows his father does not want such a loving and compassionate person to go with him when he can continue to live his life. This shows the boy's internal conflict

The road takes place in a desolate landscape where almost everything and everyone has died. The boy and the father navigate the road and do their best to survive while holding on to their morality through the process. Eventually the father stops and has to succumb to his sickness. This problem affects the boy because he does not want to continue without his father as he sees his father as a protector of himself. Before the father dies he asks the boy not to be covered by the tarp so he may look out over the last of the decaying world. Later the boy thinks it will rain so following the dads wishes he goes to “The road and come dragging back a piece of plywood from the roadside trash and he drove sticks into the ground with a rock and made of the plywood a rickety lean-to but in the end it didn’t rain.” This quote shows how the boy wants to protect the father in a similar way to how the father protected him. This Somber imagery allows the reader to see the boy's love and compassion that he has consistently shown throughout the book as well as the boy's internal conflict. As the boy builds a tent to protect his father he starts to become more like his father. He takes on the survival aspect just like his father and because of this understands