The True Meaning Of Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

The True Meaning of The Road

Throughout the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy, a man and a boy live in a post-apocalyptic world where they endure countless hardships. The new troubling Earth is lifeless, hopeless, and radiates destruction. However, the novel does not simply teach of the despair of the world, but rather the strong will that these survivors require. They must have the perseverance to endure the initial shock of their new world, to live despite their circumstances, and to keep their own humanity intact, but also be able to limit their compassion. However, some might argue that their will to survive means nothing. Looking at the bigger picture reveals that the only objective of the novel is to convey the character’s tragic circumstances, the hopelessness, and the reality of the cruelty of humanity. Is the point of the novel to teach persevering through hardship or to reveal the unnerving truth of the reality of circumstance?

Before the world was destroyed, the man lived a

However, in each situation they resist the temptation to become cold, remorseless, and uncompassionate. In one circumstance, the boy stumbles upon another child. The boy runs after the child and calls out, “Come back… I won’t hurt you” (pg 84). Another instance where the man and the boy show compassion is when they encounter an old blind man named Ely (pg 163). The characters do their best to feed and help the man, showing that they still care for others. Finally, when the characters happen upon a horrific scene, they clearly state that their humanity still has control over their actions. “We would never eat anybody would we? … No. No matter what” (pg 128). This reveals a strong presence of a conscience and a limit to the man and the boy’s savagery. Even though the man and the boy’s humanity remain intact, they must be careful with how much compassion they