The Road Cormac Mccarthy Search For Justice

In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life "is a search for justice." Cormac McCarthy's The Road embodies this quote. In The Road, the boy searches for justice throughout the novel. The boy's determination to be a good person incites his search. However, the boy does not fully understand the meaning of justice, therefore, his search is difficult for him. In The Road, the boy searches for justice, even though he does not fully understand what justice means. Merriam-Webster defines justice as a "quality of being just, impartial, or fair" or "the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity". The boy somewhat understands the meaning of justice, by looking to his father for help and guidance.

The boy discovers that there is more injustice on the road than justice. The boy's thoughts on the main source of justice, his father, was wrong, which his father proved on multiple occasions. When they came across the man, Ely, the boy saw that his father was not as good and just as he thought. The boy did not think that he would have to search for justice in his father. Instead of finding justice, the boy found injustice in his father. The boy suggested to his father that they could "maybe give him something to eat" because the father did not want to share their food with Ely (McCarthy 163). The boy wants to be just and fair to everyone, while his father does everything that he can to keep the both of them alive. The boy starts to realize this fact after he begged his father to help Ely. The boy and his father "argued about what to give the old man", suggesting that the boy's just ways do not align with his father's (McCarthy 173). The boy then pouted on the side of the road because he was frustrated with his father's decision to only give the old man some cans. This is the beginning of the boy's realization that his father may not be as just as he once thought. The boy desires to continue to be a good guy and help people and be fair, but there is not a convenient way for him to do so. His father prevents the boy from being just and fair to all the people they come across. After his father died, the boy found a group

The boy's search throughout the novel juxtaposes his father as well as the uncivilized and ravaged society around him. The uncivilized society that they live in is full of injustice. Some people, or the bad guys, get things that they want by bullying and tormenting others. The bad guys also keep weaker, less fortunate people captive as a source of food. The boy saw these things and it brings to light how different he is than from the people around him. His compassion makes him want to be a just person so he can help others. The one person that he looked to for help and guidance was his father, and he was not a prime example to follow. His father was selfish with their belongings when they came across other people on the road because he wanted to protect the boy. The boy's search for justice is confronted with his unjust father. The boy's father is just to him, but not to the other people they meet on the road. The boy, however, wishes for his father to be more just in these situations. The boy's desire for his father to be just highlights the stark contrast between their pursuits for justice. His father does not care about being just to other people, while the boy wants to be just to everyone they come across. The boy is a compassionate, intelligent( for his age) individual who believes that every person deserves justice, while the father does everything humanly possible to protect the