Symbolism In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

In Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel, The Road, the main characters, the man and the boy, embody the enduring love between a father and son through life’s cruel trials. The society in which the man and boy live is “barren, silent, godless” (4) and filled with iniquity where The man and his son are two of the last people left after the unspeakable destruction of the earth. Food is nearly impossible to find, leaving many to resort to cannibalism. One never feels safe in the horrendous conditions of the world. Morals are blurred by the “desolate country” (17), “covered with ash” (22), and filled with corruption. Cold, starving, and fatigued, the man and the boy travel south with one “grocery cart” (5) that carries the “essential things”

Hiding in the weeds, a marauder begins walking toward them. The man holds the gun “on the man” (62) and watches him unknowingly walk closer to their hiding spot. When the roadrat gets close, the man confronts him when he glances at the boy. The roadrat tries to convince the man and the boy to go “to the truck” (65) to get food, but the man tells him that he will “shoot [him]” (65). The roadrat replies by walking towards the child with a knife in hand and swiftly grabs the boy holding the “knife at his throat” (66). McCarthy presents the man with the moral dilemma “to seek out the upright” (15) or to follow his primal instincts of shooting the roadrat to protect his son. The man follows his immediate impulse and “level[s] the pistol and fire[s]” (66), hitting the man straight through his forehead. The father rushes to his son “covered with gore” (66), picks him up, and sets off at a “dead run” (66) away from danger, only thinking of protecting his child. The man stops at a “gravelbar below the bridge” (73) and breaks through a layer of ice to “wash the boy’s face and his hair” (74) in the freezing water. The man claims this to “be [his] job” (74) since it is his boy showing that the man feels a sense of responsibility to protect his child adding to McCarthy’s implied theme that a parent protects and

McCarthy presents a sorrowful mood to showcase the boy’s appreciation for all his father has done in their lives. The man urges his son to “keep going” (278), continuing to teach and protect him. He gives the boy the gun and directs him to “find the good guys” (278). The man reveals his internal struggle of “hold[ing his] son dead in [his] arms” (279), showing how the man always considers what is best for the boy and knows his son needs to continue his journey towards a better life. The boy does not want to leave his father, but his dad assures him that the boy “can still talk to [him]” (279) when necessary, and the father will respond, continuing to show that a parent helps their son in all situations. The man’s last words of advice to his son are, “don’t give up…you’re going to be lucky” (279), finalizing McCarthy’s theme that a parent cares for the well being of their child over everything else in the world. Through the man’s actions, McCarthy presents the theme that a parent shields their child from the dangers of life and provides unconditional support and love to benefit their