The Road Reflection (Analysis)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy describes the journey between a young boy and his father through unpopulated land, as they fight for their survival. In the Road, McCarthy gives a detailed description of the condition of the man and the boy, people they encounter, memories from the past, and the items they find along their journey. The Road takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where all living things are dead, and it seems as if they are the only people remaining. The man and the boy are aware that there are other people are there, but they are cautious of everyone they encounter.

In the Road, the man’s wife knows what is bound to happen if she remains alive. She says,“I don't care. It’s meaningless. You can think of me as a faithless slut if you like. I’ve taken a new lover. He can give me what you cannot.” The woman is aware that eventually she and the family will get raped, killed, and eaten. But, the man attempts to convince his wife out of committing suicide to end her misery. But, the woman says that she has taken on a new lover--and by new lover, she mean’s death. She fell in love with the thought of death more than she loved her husband. The next morning the woman kills herself, leaving the man and young boy behind. In my opinion, I think the mother may have been selfish for not saying a final goodbye to her son and husband. Also, I do understand why she did what she did because she was suffering, and she knew that she must not go on. I, too, would have also thought there is no purpose in living, especially if I knew what was my fate.

Overall, I thought McCarthy had greatly described the post-apocalyptic world of the man and the boy and their travels. He was able to use a great amount of wordplay to play out a perfect image in my head. Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to read more of McCarthy’s books.