Symbolism In The Road By Elie Mccarthy

358 Words2 Pages
The Road is the emotional journey of a man and his son in a post-apocalyptic world where civilization and societal rules have disappeared. Surviving humans are murderers and cannibals. Conor Mccarthy uses imagery and symbolism to illustrate this dark world and the true meaning behind it. Fire, one of the founders of civilization, is the most symbolic term in the book. In the conversation between the father and the son ’’And nothing bad is going to happen to us. That's right. Because we're carrying the fire. Yes. Because we're carrying the fire’’(37). Mccarthy uses the metaphorical power of ‘’carrying the fire’’ to show the reader that the world is in need of fire once more to start rebuilding. Symbolizing survival and hope, those who