Examine some of the secondary characters in the novel. Do they provide any hope or merely despair for father and son?

McCarthy’s The Road

It is possible to read this novel as a metaphor of spiritual and moral survival. Father and son traverse a dying world and face multitudes of suffering (e.g. starvation, fear of being cannibalized, etc.) Their journey, or quest, brings up many philosophical and existential questions. Can goodness survive in the face of violence? What good is morality when the world is at its end?

The son is the father’s (note: both are nameless) foundation and meaning. The only reason he has for continuing on this journey to the west coast is his son. At times, though, we have to wonder of what use is this father’s love for his son when they are immersed in a world where all of society has gone mad. But this is perhaps the nobility of this love, that despite all the reasons the father has to give up, he doggedly fights for his son’s survival.

While this is a bleak and dark novel, it is arguable that there is some hope in this struggle and perhaps some hope for the boy at the end of the journey. Pay special attention to symbolism throughout the novel and recurring themes regarding resilience in times of despair.

Journal #8

Discuss the relationship between the father and son. Is it warm? Expressive? Difficult?

Examine some of the secondary characters in the novel. Do they provide any hope or merely despair for father and son?

Discuss the ending of the novel and whether or not you thought it was an effective conclusion to this dark tale.

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