Literature Analysis #1

1. The Road By Cormac McCarthy tells the adventures of a father and son struggling to survive everyday in a post-apocalyptic world. With scarce food, water, and sources of support, these main characters are forced to live like nomads. Everyday they find themselves somewhere new, hoping that wherever they go will be beneficial to them, whether it be in the form of shelter, food, or any sign of intelligent life. Along their journey they run into horrifying characters that prove themselves to be cannibals. They survive these traumatic experiences together and protect each other. Unfortunately, the father is afflicted with a fatal injury and eventually dies before his son's eyes. Although he knows no one will replace his father, the boy decides to leave his father in the woods and continue life with a new family. The narrative fulfills the authors' purpose through the relationship that the father and son share. So much of the novel surrounds their commitment to one another, and what they would do for each other in order to stay alive. Their relationship is tested in many ways, and they prove time and time again their loyalty. Had their relationship been any different, I feel it would change this novel entirely. 2. Based on my interpretation of the novel, I feel that an accurate theme is that situations may get worse before they get better. The man and his son went through tragic events before they seen happier days. They had to experience the loss of their mother and wife, food, home, as well as everything they knew before they experienced hope in life. The man and his son went hungry and cold for many days before they found shelter underground or the boat in the sea, both of which contained supplies critical for survival. Towards the end of the novel, the man passes away due to illness and injury and tells his son to leave him, but the boy refuses to leave for three days. The novel ends with the boy being accepted into a new family as well as a new world. 3. The tone that McCarthy creates is one that is hopeful and uplifting, despite the tragic situations that evolve. The following quote, “What would you do if I died? If you died I would want to die too. So you could be with me? Yes. So I could be with you. Okay", shows the love and care that this father and son share. It shows that when another day isn't guaranteed, these two find the blessings in having one another as they survive each day. The quote, "You wanted to know what the bad guys looked like. Now you know. It may happen again. My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you. Do you understand?", shows the dedication to eachother that these two express. When odds are against them, these two stick to their family morals and hold onto one another. Lastly, the quote, “You have my whole heart. You always did. You're the best guy. You always were", defines this tone the most to me. Even when their world as they knew it was absolutely destroyed, these characters learned to appreciate eachother. They didn't focus on what they didn't have, instead, they focused on what they did have. This was truly uplifting to me because it shows how fortunate I am, and that I should acknowledge my blessings. 4. Chiasmus is one of ten literary elements that helped me in understanding this novel. The quote, "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget" (page ten) emphasizes the traumatic events that the characters have endured and how badly they'd like to forget, but can't seem to do so. “Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it.” This quote is an example of repetition, putting stress on the fact that humanity is at its all time low, borrowing everything because they literally have nothing. Alliteration is used in the quote, "dark beyond darkness and the days" (page one) which allows the audience to see the depression in this novel and see what the characters are going through. The lack of proper punctuation in this novel, using words such as "wouldnt"( page fifty-six) without an apostrophe gives an example of syntax . Another element used in this novel was characterization. An example is on page one hundred and two, as the father describes his son with a, "Taught face and hollow eyes". This detail adds to the fact that these characters are literally suffering from the inside out as they struggle to survive each day. Following this quote, the author includes a metaphor describing his son as, "A strange beauty", proving that even even when his son is suffering, he sees the beautiful qualities within him. On page one hundred and fifteen, McCarthy presents the simile, "They staggered on like drunks", which paints the audience a picture as to how exhausted these characters are, and how their new life has effected them so drastically. Along with the rest of the elements, there is a gothic element presented in this novel. The quote is on page eight and it describes a city as "grayness" and "charcoal", both which set the mood early in the book. Symbolism is another element used in defining this novel. To the father, the gun he carried around represented safety, life, and most importantly, the well- being of his son. This gun meant the difference between life and death to this father, and he was positive its possession was a necessity. Lastly, an element used in this novel was imagery on page four. The quote, " Everything paling away into the murk", describes the surroundings of these two characters and the harsh reality of the place they used to call their home.