Voice and point of view

"If I’m not here you can still talk to me. You can talk to me and I’ll talk to you. You’ll see. ... He went down the road as far as he dared and then he came back."



Techniques used:

• Unattributed speech
• Repetitive dialogue
• 3rd person from boy's perspective
• Longer dialogue

Voice is a very important part of this extract. The same repetitive dialogue is used with "Okay" being said 3 times. The man says "okay" to the boy to re-assure and calm him. The use of familiar dialogue, as "okay" has been said many times throughout the novel, makes the boy less fearful. He is being brought back to the sense of normality he'd found amongst the chaos of a post-apocalyptic world.d His father's voice is the only thing that brings him comfort and a feeling of safety.

This extract involves unattributed dialogue, with longer statements being said, particularly from the father. Even though it's unattributed, it's clear which character is saying what through their speech patterns. The man says, "If I'm not here you can still talk to me. You can talk to me and I'll talk to you. You'll see" to which the boy simply replies with "Will I hear you?" The man's almost poetic speech coincides with his oncoming death, his voice seems to be more expressive due to the fact its his lsat proper conversation with his son. He changes his attitude to one of optimism to make the boy feel strong and safe.

This extract ends with the 3rd person perspective of the boy. His voice has been developing throughout this part of the novel as he realises that he must gain some independence. In the text, it says "He went down the road as far as he dared and then he came back". This is the boy's viewpoint, describing his actions, and suggests that he has become a more daring spirit through what he's learnt from his father. He is seeing the world a bit differently now he knows he has to adapt and survive without the protection of his father.

Structure and the handling of time

The novel seems to take place in a "continuous present". This is due to the narrative moving forward, yet never leaving a specific place - the road. It utilises an "entropic continuity" in that there seems to be a constant increase of chaos and disorder. The disasters the Man and Boy encounter increase in severity as they first come across the Road Rat, who is seemingly on his own, then they reach the abandoned house in which there's danger from several cannibals. This symbolises society's constant descent into barbaric and "bad" ways. McCarthy uses time to indicate that although the setting never really changes, the characters have done as their experiences have been so dramatic.

There's a strong repetitive tone to McCarthy's writing, particularly in terms of time. The constant use of "morning", "afternoon" and "night" indicate a semblance of routine left in this world. Although everything they knew has been taken away from them, there's still an innate need for a sense of normality and structure to their lives.



References to the passage of days

• "He woke in the night" (p.78) - restlessness of the man
• "and slept till day" (p.128) - semblance of a routine
• "It took two days" (p.14) - travelling away from the forest

Markers in the year

• "it was snowing again" (p.17) - never-ending gloom, cold and misery
• "still autumn air" (p.19)

Passages in which narrative time is telescoped

• "Three nights later" (p.27) - after finding shelter and then leaving it for their own safety
• "The day following" (p.187) - after meeting Ely

References to "before" (and flashbacks)

• "We're survivors he told her across the flame of the lamp" (p.57) - flashback to man and his wife
• "Seated in a theatre with her beside him" (p.18) - memories of happier times
• "She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift" (p.61) - woman killing herself

Points at which time seems to be suspended

• "He caught it in his hand and watched it expire there like the last host of Christendom" (p.15) - catching a snowflake (remnant of beauty left in the world)
• "Coming across the field toward the house were four bearded men and two women." (p.117) - glimpse of the cannibals followed by desperation to get away
• "The clocks stopped at 1:17" (p.54) - exact time of the apocalypse

Abstract references to time

• "When the time comes there will be no time" (p.120)
• "Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth" (p.1) - death bells ringing symbolising the end of time

Practice compare question

Many narratives have one or more significant moments of crisis.

Write about the significance of crises in the work of the three writers you have studied.

Crisis is an integral part of many narratives as they keep the plot moving and interesting. They often happen when there's a tension in the situation that culminates with a dramatic climax. There are clear moments of crisis in The Road, The Great Gatsby and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

A significant moment of crisis in the Road is when the man and the boy encounter the Road Rat. This is the first time they've been directly threatened and are in serious danger, which is often a part of crisis in texts as it affects the way the characters behave drastically. The Road Rat attempts to kidnap the boy, presumably to kill and eat him. This underlying fear adds to the tension of this crisis as the man and the boy know this is what will happen to them, making them even more scared. The Road Rat grabs the boy "holding him against his chest with the knife at his throat". This accelerates the pace of the section drastically as suddenly there is an immediate danger that must be overcome. McCarthy deliberately makes this event happen quickly to put some doubt into the reader's minds regarding whether the boy will survive or not. The Road Rat's intentions relate to those of the "bad guys" who have emerged due to the apocalypse. In a way, he represents the worst of society post-apocalypse, whilst in The Great Gatsby, the wealthy represent the worst before it. It could be argued that The Road is where the people of The Great Gatsby will end up if they carry on their lifestyles.

Perhaps the most significant crisis in The Road is when the man and the boy reach the abandoned house filled with “naked people, male and female” that try to reach out to them. In this section, we are quickly presented with an immediate threat, making the atmosphere tenser. The mystery surrounding how the people got there heightens the drama. The man and boy’s desperate escape from the cellar implies that above all, their will to survive is the most important part of themselves. When they are faced with a crisis, they must act fast, and do, to ensure they aren’t harmed.

Crisis is an integral part of The Great Gatsby as the novel revolves around the idea of there being consequences to people's actions. A particularly significant crisis is when Tom confronts Gatsby about his relationship with Daisy. This is ignited by Daisy's statement to Gatsby that he "always look so cool". This inadvertently reveals their relationship, yet the circumstances in which it was said, surrounded by others, suggests that Daisy wanted to force a confrontation. When Tom reacts to this later in the chapter, he addresses Gatsby as "Mr Gatsby". This use of formality adds to the crisis as the tension becomes palpable. It's as if Tom wants to burst into a rage, but keeps it constrained to preserve whatever dignity he can keep, at least to begin with. His anger is conveyed through the subtlety of his snide remarks to Gatsby. He mocks and humiliates him, by saying things like "Mr Nobody from Nowhere" to emphasise how he's never going to be accepted into American upper class society. This makes the crisis even worse as it's not clear what Tom's intentions are and the reader is on edge just waiting for to hear his real feelings about the situation.

The killing of Myrtle is arguably one of the most important crises in the whole novel due to both the ramifications and the horrific nature in which she is killed. She is described as being "violently extinguished" and her "left breast was swinging loose like a flap". These are shocking descriptions of her death that Fitzgerald uses to convey the idea that this event will have tragic consequences. In itself, it is a crisis for most characters, particularly Wilson, Tom and Gatsby. For Wilson, his wife dying takes away the last piece of sanity he had retained. He's pushed over the brink into insanity, as displayed when Michaelis watches over him. For Tom, his reaction is one of disbelief, which quickly turns to hatred for Gatsby, as displayed when he says, "The God damned coward!" Gatsby's death links alms directly to Myrtle's because it is due to Wilson believing Gatsby was driving the car that hit her, that he shoots him. Myrtle's death signifies a turning point in the novel due to it being the first time the consequences of the carefree rich have directly damaged a person's life in a drastic way. Their inability to realise that their hedonistic and materialistic ways are wrong contributes to their downfall, beginning with Myrtle's demise.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner revolves around the different crises the Mariner finds himself in. The first significant one is when he experiences the repercussions of shooting the Albatross. Part 1 ends on the cliffhanger "With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross". This appears to be a motiveless killing showcasing the Mariner's apparent disrespect for life and his selfishness. This leads into part 2 as the crew turn on the Mariner, a crisis for him. They call him a "wretch", isolating him and punishing him for his actions. The lack of respect and communication between the Mariner and his crew leads the reader to realise that the consequences of the Mariner's shooting of the Albatross will be catastrophic. They are hurtling towards some kind of disaster, and the fact that they aren't going to work as a team will work against them. This crisis is significant because it set the whole story in motion and it ripples throughout the rest of the text. It displays the Mariner as an egocentric character, which affects our perception of him for the rest of the poem.

Another significant crisis occurs during part 3 when the Mariner and his crew encounter the physical manifestations of "Death" and "Life-in-Death". These supernatural figures arrive on "the skeleton of a ship" and Life-in-Death is said to have "red" lips, "yellow as gold" hair, but "leprosy" like skin. These reinforce the gothic themes present throughout the poem and add to the tension. These are strange creatures who invade the ship to play a game for the souls of the crew, which is a crisis in itself as at this point the reader doesn't know what will happen to their souls. The importance of this event relates to the rest of the poem in that it's the first time we are fully introduced to the supernatural side of the tale and the amount of control they have other the Mariner's journey. The fact that their actions and appearances are described using conflicting vocabulary conveys the idea that the realm of impossibilities and loss of rationality has been entered. This is a notable development as it sets the poem up as one that may not always make logical sense, yet is powerful.

A crisis that is probably one of the most important, as it relates directly to the conclusion of the poem, happens at the end of part 5, but leads into part 6. Two new other-worldy voices are introduced who discuss the Mariner's situation. One of them says, "The man hath penance done And penance more will do". This implies that the Mariner's physical and mental journey is far from over and that he still has suffering to come. Up until this point, it’s suggested that the Mariner as been freed of his restraints, but this proves that he hasn’t. His sin of shooting the Albatross will forever haunt him, which indicates that anyone who sins so drastically won’t ever truly escape from it.

Limited Palette

1. The repetitive language echoes the idea of being on a road, constantly travelling. 

• "and dug out the knapsack and shook it out and opened it and stuffed in one of the blankets"
• "okay"
• "gray"
• "ashen"

The whole premise of the novel is the constant journey to safety and finding some kind of hope. A way McCarthy does this is through the repetition of certain words and phrases. A specific example is when the man is trying to get something to keep the boy warm. The word "and" is repeated 4 times. This suggests that the characters are travelling along a winding path and looking for safety all the time. McCarthy repeats these phrases to drill into the reader's conscious mind that it's all about the road. It becomes a character in itself and is the centrepiece of the novel as it holds both extreme danger and the possibility of being saved.

1. There is a powerfully poetic effect in the simplicity of the language. By avoiding rhetorical flourishes and elaborate language the writer makes a stronger impact.

The lack of complex and intricate vocabulary makes a big statement about the context of the novel. Within it, the world has suffered an apocalypse and all beauty and complexity seems to have disappeared. McCarthy cleverly conveys this further through the stripped language. The fact that there aren't any overly descriptive sections means that we are given an image of the world as bare and desolate, just like the language. Things are described in simplistic terms, such as "raw and black" and "filthy blue". The fact that there's no elaboration on this imagery leaves it open for the reader's interpretation to imagine what the world looks like. This allows for a greater emotional link between the novel and the reader as it's possible to truly immerse yourself in a world you can imagine. 

1. Avoiding emotional language and keeping it simple makes the narrative all the more emotionally engaging. 

• "Stop crying. Do you understand?" "I think so." "No. Do you understand?" "Yes."
• "She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift."

One of the main concepts of the novel is the seeming lack of emotion displayed by the characters, particularly the man. This draws up many questions for the reader to ponder on as in the post-apocalyptic world, it's difficult to imagine why people would distance themselves from each other. However, the man has a specific reasoning for doing this that is emotionally powerful. He wishes to ensure that the boy isn't too emotionally attached to him, so if he were to die, the boy could survive. In a way, this is the most loving thing to do as the man is acting out of desperation to keep his child alive, at all costs. The reader is left to search for any scrap of emotion they can find to help them relate to the characters, which means it's more emotionally engaging.

1. The limited palette makes the story more universal, a fable for all time, rather than pinning it down with lots of elaborate details describing specific places. 

There are no specific references to the time the novel is set, we are just given the idea that it all takes place in America. The fact that it's not placed at any point in history means it could apply to everyone at all times. The morals conveyed, of the man and the boy in particular, aren't just a part of one society, then can be applied to many. McCarthy deliberately withholds detail so it's possible to relate to the characters more easily. The man is supposed to represent the "every man", he could be any one of us, so it's more universal. The stories told in The Road act as a warning for all humanity at every point in history, that if we don't change our actions, evil will grow and conquer.

Practice section 1B question

How far do you agree that the Patriot and the Pied Piper are heroes?

It's possible to argue that both of these characters are heroes because both perform seemingly heroic acts. The Pied Piper rids the town of the pestilent rats and the Patriot is conveyed as a war hero. However, by the conclusion of their respective poems they're shown to commit immoral acts, some would say this cancels out their previous goodness as their actions are selfish.

On a surface level, it's easy to perceive these characters as heroes, at the beginning of their stories. They both act in a way to save and help other people, a typical character trait of a hero. In the Pied Piper's case, he approaches the infested town like a saviour and promises to "chiefly use [his] charm On creatures that do people harm". This implies that his only aim is to prevent the townsfolk from being hurt or harassed by the rats, which in turn suggests a heroic nature as he's seemingly willing to risk his own safety to do this. The Pied Piper also lists people he's helped in the past - the "Cham" and the "Nizam". This gives us a kind of assurance that he is capable and brave enough to stop the invasion. However, this also adds an air of mystery as we aren't given proof of these heroic deeds.

The Patriot can also be perceived as a hero due to his implied actions during a war. His actions are elevated, to make him seem saint-like, by the people who sent him to war in the first place. They throw "roses, roses" in his path, signifying his heroic status as they're blessing him with the beauty of flora, but also link him to being a patriotic symbol, as roses relate to England. This means he is admired all across the country and is worshipped as the "church-spires flamed". This signifies God's acceptance of him too, which is a major factor as, even in the end, he doesn't believe he will be truly sinful until God says so. Praise for the Patriot is a pivotal theme as it indicates how the public were obsessed with making him a hero.

However, both the Patriot and the Pied Piper exhibit characteristics relating to an anti-hero, or even a villain. The Pied Piper is portrayed as cunning and mischievous who will go to great lengths to get what he wants. One of the main reasons he helped the townspeople was to receive a sum of money, indicating his selfish and greedy nature. He asks for "a thousand guilders", to which the Mayor offers him "fifty thousand". When this promise is broken and he doesn't receive the money, the Pied Piper descends into a villainy. His enchantment of the children indicates that he's a spiteful character, not what a true hero should be. Even worse, when he leads them away, he's takes on a clear antagonistic role within the poem. His claims that he's heroic are refuted as Browning now presents him as malevolent with no care for human emotion.

It's also possible to interpret the Patriot as a character that isn't a hero. It's heavily implied that he's a war criminal who committed such atrocities that only the "palsied" come out to see him, as opposed to before when the public was lining the streets with "flags". The palsied are the disabled and deformed, which suggests that no-one of sound mind is willing to be associated with him anymore. As the narrator, he states that he's being punished for his "year's misdeeds". No true hero would behave in a way that would harm others, yet this is what the Patriot has done. He shows no remorse for his actions and is nonchalant when approaching his execution, which further conveys the idea that he's a representation of an anti-hero.

In conclusion, when both characters are introduced to the reader, they appear to be heroic and selfless. However, as Browning gives us more description, it becomes clear that neither is inherently "good" as they both perform bad deeds which disadvantage/harm others, something that a hero would never do.

The Road Rat

• Why does McCarthy describe the Road Rat in such detail? (p.65)

The Road Rat is described in such detail to reflect the horror of the character and the rest of the novel. The description of him is gratuitous and adds to the sense that his personality is excessively horrible. He's described as "lean, wiry, rachitic" and with eyes "like an animal", which gives the impression that the Road Rat isn't human, he's a creature. The humanity he may have once possessed has been replaced by a feral instinct. It can be argued that the reason the Road Rat is described in a detailed way is that he represent the brutality of the novel as a whole. The excessive description of him relates to the sheer horror of what happens in the novel.

• Why is the Road Rats character so explicit whilst the man is so implicit?

The Road Rat is explicit whilst the man is implicit to reflect the differences between the two. They are the two sides of humanity that have emerged in the post-apocalyptic world. The Road Rat epitomises the "bad guys" as he acts immorally and with no care for anyone else, which is shown when he tries to kill the boy. His explicit intentions convey the brutality of the horror within the novel. The man is implicit as he counters the Road Rat's behaviour with some form of moral code. He acts to save the boy, suggesting that he is one of the "good guys". He is understood from a moral perspective as although he shoots the Road Rat, he did it to save someone else.

• "A single round left in the revolver. You will not face the truth. You will not" Who is the man echoing here? How do you believe these words are uttered?

The man's thoughts echo the words of the woman, his wife. She said these things just before she killed herself. She believed he was selfish for wasting a bullet, and now he's shot the Road Rat, it could be seen that he's being even more selfish. The fact that there is only one bullet left means that he has to shoot the boy if the circumstances go beyond any hope, but the man still can't bring himself to do that. He's conflicted over his emotions and the right thing to do. The poignancy of what his wife said haunts him, to an extent, as he doesn't feel strong enough to kill his own son and save him from suffering.

Purpose of the Woman

McCarthy needed something that is no longer present to represent life as it used to be in the time before.
The linear chronology of the novel means we have to follow the experiences of the man and the boy as they trek through America to the coast. However, the existence of the woman's character allows for an insight into what life was like pre-apocalypse. We get a picture of her character through the man's memories, who's descriptions of her vary from romantic ("summer dress") to angry ("the coldness of it"). The fact that the woman is no longer alive is pivotal as it implies that some people from the old world don't have what it takes to survive. The world has changed, both physically and in the way it works, since the apocalypse. The woman represents how good life was before the disaster, many allusions to her pre-apocalypse are in a positive light and associating her with happy events (for example, the trip to the theatre). In a way, her not being alive during the novel's story is indicative of how everything has changed and nothing will ever be the same again for the characters.

The man and woman represent the different ways in which humanity might react to such a situation.
The reactions of the man and woman to the apocalypse differ greatly. On the one hand, the man represents true strength and survival instinct. He disregards the emotional significance and danger he's in to think rationally. He conserves fresh water by turning the "taps as far as they would go" to fill the bathtub. This way, he is able to ensure both he and his wife have something to drink. However, the woman doesn't appear to understand this. Her immediate reaction is to panic and question why the man is filling the bath. She can't understand his instinct, which makes her seem weaker as she wouldn't be able to survive on her own.

How does McCarthy tell the story in pages 1-28 of The Road?

The Road is a dystopian novel set some time after an apocalyptic event that caused the virtual destruction of civilization. McCarthy utilises conflicting genres in a post-modern way to emphasise that everything is now "gray" and "charred". The novel begins in media res as we first encounter the man and the boy. In the next 28 pages, we follow the two main characters as they continue their journey south to, what they believe will be, safety. The main theme is the desperation to survive and this is depicted through their endless searches for food and shelter.

The story is told from the viewpoint of a third person omniscient narrator. We are observing the events of this section from an outside perspective, which gives a haunting tone to the novel as we are detached from it. However, there are moments, for example, "Nothing to see. No smoke", where the point of view shifts to the man's. Although it isn't first person, the events are described as if we're seeing them through his eyes. This type of narrative continues through the rest of the novel, which McCarthy may have done to create a stronger emotional link between the reader and the characters.

A significant way in which McCarthy tells the story is through the use of imagery, particularly gothic, in connection to the setting. It's presented as a decaying and miserable place where everything is dying. The road itself is the foundation of the novel and it's during the first section that we are introduced to it. It's described as "Barren, silent, Godless". This implies that the apocalypse has eliminated all beauty and life from the setting, leaving no cause for dreams or faith. The "charred" and "gray" surroundings are emphasised by McCarthy to reflect the lack of hope exhibited by society as a whole, they seem to have given up on trying to retain a stable existence. Nothing has been done to fix the landscape, it's just been left to rot away. This is important in telling the story as it gives us a better understanding of human psychology post-apocalypse.

McCarthy employs a bricolage of high and low culture references throughout the novel. In the first 28 pages, this is evident through the significance of Coca Cola. The man "sat looking at a Coca Cola" as if it was a treasure he'd found, calling it "a treat". The drink is a material item but relates to the idea that in America, a father and son sharing a can of coke is a prominent event. This is a high culture element as it emphasises the importance and preciousness of a relationship between a parent and child. McCarthy intertwines low and high culture by using a post-modern approach to suggest that after the apocalypse, the lines have blurred between what is considered great and what isn't.

A key way in which the story is told is through religious themes and concepts. On the first page, a reference is made to the man and the boy being "like pilgrims in a fable". It's as if they're on a religious journey to safety, some kind of faith is keeping them going through the pain and misery. Also, it's suggested that the boy is a representation of Jesus. The novels states that "If he is not the word of God God never spoke". The man sees his son as his saviour who will free him from the tortuous life he has and is the only one who can lead him to death. However, the boy is also what is keeping the man alive as he wishes to protect him due to his unconditional love. The man is conflicted in his ideas over what is the best thing to do, survive or be free to die.

The minimalistic punctuation and use of simple sentences in the story convey the seeming lack of emotion within the characters. However, the strength of the man and the boy's relationship is arguably the most important theme within the novel. The man deliberately keeps his distance so that neither he nor the boy become too emotionally attached to each other. The main aim of this behaviour is to ensure both of them have the best chance of survival, as emotion weakens a person, especially when it comes to survival of the fittest. Despite this, the boy still yearns for his father's love and protection, indicating that they do need each other.

McCarthy tells the story through mostly linear chronology, but also integrates analepsis. In this first section of the novel, we follow the boy and the man through their journey up until the earthquake. However, woven throughout is reflections on the past from the man's point of view. One of these a hint relating to the woman, the boy's mother. He remembers her beauty, through her "stockings" and "summer dress". This brief flashback lays the foundations for expansion on this character later on in the novel. McCarthy utilises analepsis to convey the idea that life hasn't always been dark and hopeless for the characters, there was a time of happiness beforehand.

In conclusion, pages 1-28 in The Road tell the story by setting the scene and introducing us to the characters. As it's the first section, we are given a first insight into what the world has become, post-apocalypse. McCarthy uses a variety of literary techniques and genres, such as gothic imagery and religious themes, to give the reader a vivid picture of this world to ensure a better understanding can be reached.

The Woman

Page 17 - "From daydreams on the road there was no waking .... Freeze this frame. Now call down your dark and your cold and be damned." 

The man seems to have some fond memories of the woman, describing her appearance in a positive light and emphasising their closeness. It shows that there was a time of happiness and contentment with life. However, the man quickly realises that he must wake up from dreaming about the past as that's not his life anymore. He's become bitter, to an extent, that his life is so cold and dark, compared to how it used to be. The woman was clearly a source of comfort and love for the man, but he's lost her and he must remember that.

Page 54 - "The clocks stopped at 1:17. ... What is happening?"

The woman is conveyed as the weaker than the man. When the apocalypse happens, she doesn't appear to have any survival instinct and simply questions the man over what he's doing. She doesn't understand that he's filling the bath to store water, she has a limited ability to cope with the situation. However, this section indicates that she has a maternal side as she instinctively cradles her belly, as if she's protecting her unborn child. She seeks comfort and relies on the man, as he is quick-thinking and strong, although her strength could be perceived through her want to keep her child safe.

Page 56 - "He thought about the picture in the road ... You mean you wish that you were dead."

The man is conflicted over whether to keep the woman's memory in his and his son's life. He doesn't want the boy to linger over past memories by needing his mother. The man himself believes that if he thinks about her, then he will become emotionally weaker and therefore put him and the boy in danger. The woman became extremely cynical and less loving by her death and the man doesn't want the boy to end up like this. He wishes to distance them from her as she can't help them in any way now.

Page 57 - "What in God’s name are you talking about? We’re not survivors. We’re the walking dead in a horror film ... The one thing I can tell you is that you wont survive for yourself."

The woman has completely given up hope of achieving happiness and salvation in this desolate world. Her attitude towards the situation is one of anger and bitterness and she can't see a way to survive. She is the only one to see the cold truth of their circumstances and this causes a huge conflict in her relationship with the man, who still retains some kind of hope. The fact that the man and the boy aren't enough to keep her alive suggest that she is selfish as they're her family, but she won't stay strong for them. 

Page 60 - "She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift ... wrapped his son in a towel."

The woman distancing herself from the man and the boy could be interpreted as an act of love. In a way, she's attempting to protect their emotions and minds by trying to make them care less about her. If they dislike her, then it's possible that her death may be easier to deal with. The woman's detachment from the man and the boy was a "gift" as it made them stronger. After the woman's death, the man seems more paternal as he's the only thing he has left.

Post apocalyptic literature

Fall of civilisation

Both the physical and emotional fall of civilisation is evident throughout the novel. The moral decline relates to the scenes of a violent and disturbing nature referred to, such as when the victims of cannibalism are discovered in the abandoned house. One has "legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt". This suggests that moral code has been completely ignored by some members of society (the "bad guys") now that there's no hope left.

The question of whether morality is an inherent part of being human, or whether it's learnt, is explored. One may assume that if civilisation crumbled, people would be so focused on survival that morality wouldn't matter anymore. However, the boy was born post-apocalypse and exhibits many characteristics relating to having a moral compass, such as knowing the difference between right and wrong by trying to save the thief's life. He is the ray of light in the novel as he didn't experience society's fall first-hand, his innocence is genuine so the reader would root for his survival.

The physical fall of civilisation is indicated through the various descriptions of the decaying landscape. All that surrounds the characters is misery and hopelessness due to the catastrophe. The trees are described as "dead and black" and the days are described as "gray and nameless". This setting implies that something terrible has happened as there's no reason to keep track of dates or times anymore. Society isn't functioning as there's a lack of resources and people must travel the road in order to survive. Civilisation has fallen and those who are left are struggling.


Mythologizing of the past

Elegiac language is utilised by McCarthy to link the past and the present. A sad atmosphere is described due to the effects of the apocalypse, yet there's a celebratory tone as life before the devastation did exist. This is particularly evident at the conclusion of the novel when the brook trout are described as "polished and muscular" with "vermiculate patterns" on their backs. Although the trout aren't there anymore, McCarthy is emphasising that beauty did once exist and can be remembered.

Life pre-apocalypse has become like a myth because it's such a drastic contrast to life post-apocalypse. The cultural past has gone, the only soulful things left come from human memory. This implies that the humans who survived the apocalypse will leave nothing behind. Their deaths will leave a dead and empty world.

In relation to the characters, the boy hasn't been tainted by the events of the past. He sees the innocence in the world so is "carrying the fire". He is a beacon of hope that even though a catastrophe has happened, humanity can carry on with a new society in place. In contrast, the man only sees the horrors surrounding him. His experience of the apocalypse has led to his cynicism and unwillingness to find beauty in this new world.


Humanity has always imagined its own destruction. Each generation believes the end is somewhere round the corner, and our catastrophic fantasies are a good barometer of what’s currently troubling us.

There's evidence of humanity believing some sort of catastrophic event is going to take place dating back for centuries. In recent years, 1970s B-movie horror films have often depicted the destruction of life and moral values, much like The Road. Examples such as "Dawn of the Dead" and "The Hills Have Eyes" indicate the human obsession with the inevitability of death and the possibility of supernatural forces. In The Road, it indicates that the desire to imagine something greater than oneself, in terms of scale, won't end well.

The Road itself is focused on how after the initial apocalypse, society collapsed and destroyed itself. Factions of "good guys" and "bad guys" were formed to display the divide between the moral and immoral. It suggests that if humanity were to be put into this situation, then it's possibly to go one of two ways. McCarthy could be trying to convey that we should be worrying about the human causes of devastation, rather than things that we can't control. If we carry on the way we are, then any chance of redemption will be irretrevable and humanity is doomed.

The term "apocalypse" is derived from the Greek "to uncover". This illustrates the idea that an apocalypse is more about digging into human psychology and how people would actually cope with it, rather than the actual event. This is an integral theme of The Road as we follow the actions of the man and the boy and their ability to survive.

Alive in a dead world

It's clear from the beginning of The Road that the world the characters inhabit has been almost completely destroyed. It's never revealed what actually happened to cause this devastation, leaving the reader to ponder this as they read on. Both the boy and the man are very much alive at the beginning of the novel, with a steely determination to survive. It's possible to wonder why they would want to carry on, when all that's left is the "charred" remains of a desolate and dead world. Although they are surrounded by images of death and horror, they do still have each other and that keeps the sense of hope alive. The father/son bond echoes McCarthy's own experiences as a father to a young son, with intense familial love and the desperation to protect one's child. He may have wanted to indicate that whilst there only seems to be darkness and despair on the road, there will always be something to keep you alive.

Opening section

Key features	Examples
Use of language	"cold glaucoma dimming away the world" - The light and sense of hope left is rapidly deteriorating. The descent into emotional and physical darkness is implied as the man's health is getting weaker, and they're only just surviving in a bleak world. "tolling in the silence" - Death bells are ringing in an empty world. A pilgrimage to death is suggested as that's all that's left now the apocalypse has wiped out everything else.
Sentence structure and lack of punctuation	The sentences are long and winding, which indicate that their journey will be never-ending. Repetition of "and" is frequently used to show the weariness the journey is causing. "Looking for anything of color. Any movement." - McCarthy uses fragment sentences to point out exactly what the characters are doing. It's disjointed to reflect how people really communicate, but also how desperate the road dwellers have become. Only full stops are utilised regularly, to convey the idea that all the complexity and beauty of the world has gone. All that's left is the determination to survive.
Setting	"the road passed through a stark black burn" - The road itself is an integral part of the story so description of it is necessary. It becomes the third main character as we follow it constantly. The setting is stark and desolate with not much to indicate life was ever there at all.
Characterisation	"each the other's world entire" - The boy and the man have a strong bond/relationship because they have no-one else left, so have become completely dependent on one another. Their characters need and rely on each other to get through the horrors they encounter. They can only trust each other, due the existence of "bad guys". "His hand rose and fell softly with each precious breath" - The man is fiercely protective of the boy and will do anything to keep him alive. Life is still valued  in a hopeless, "Godless" world.
Imagery	"stinking robes and blankets" - The idea that the man is the "King" of a dead world is emphasised here. Him wearing "robes" gives the reader the image of royalty. However, this contrasts to the fact that the robes are dirty and "stinking". This contradictory description implies that there's no need for hierarchy or royalty anymore. "Charred and limbless trunks of trees" - This nature imagery links to the gothic genre. The devastation that's been caused by the apocalypse is shown through the extreme decay of nature. Only the remnants of life can still be seen. This gives the reader a vivid image of just how terrible the catastrophe must have been.
Narrative	"He was a long time going to sleep." - McCarthy utilises a third-person omniscient narrator. The events are observed from the outside, such as when describing the boy not getting to sleep. This allows McCarthy creative freedom within the novel to tell all aspects of the story. "Nothing to see. No smoke." - Sometimes McCarthy adopts the narrative voice/thoughts of certain characters. It's as if we're seeing the journey from the perspective of the character, which allows the reader to immerse themselves more.
Conversation	"So we'll be warm." "Yes." "Okay." "Okay what?." "Nothing. Just okay." - The dialogue within the novel isn't complicated. It's just about determining the best way to survive and the reassurance between the man and the boy. The pattern of conversation is very "to and fro" with short replies, suggesting that they have bigger things to worry about than talking.
Tone	"gray light" "soft ash" - There's a strong sense of melancholy due to the hopelessness of the situation. Everything is gloomy and miserable as it's a post-apocalyptic setting. Even the light doesn't signify optimism anymore.

Characterisation

One of the most important features of The Road is how McCarthy presents the characters. The characters, particularly the man and the boy, are integral to the plot as it's them we follow and their experiences we read about. McCarthy develops them interestingly as the reader can identify very human characteristics within the man and the boy, like the desperation to survive. By giving them relatable traits and a strong father/son relationship, we're more likely to be drawn into the story. This is significant because by giving us this insight, we can imagine their hopes and fears more vividly.


Imagery
Imagery is an important feature utilised in The Road because it helps us to imagine the situation and setting the characters are in. The road itself plays a major part in the story, so description of it is vital, and McCarthy gives us this. Through describing the "charred limbs" of trees it's possible to envisage just how desolate this world is and how everything is decaying. It's not what humanity currently experiences, so this feature is significant as it ensures the reader can understand what the characters are seeing.

Quotations

'This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.'


'Yes I am, he said. I am the one.'


'Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.'


'Are we still the good guys, he said.'


'We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't.'


'The snow fell nor did it cease to fall.'


'Okay? Okay.'


'They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and them he handed the boy the pan and soap and he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets and they went back across the yard to the bunker.'


'Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth.'


'She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.'




What do these extract tell us about:


- The type of novel it might be (the genre/s it seems to draw on or fit with)
The novel itself is set in America, with McCarthy using a classic American style of writing to indicate this. He calls the tarmac "blacktop" and an area of land "yard". This suggests that the novel is heavily associated with specifically American thoughts and dreams, echoing McCarthy's own experiences in life as an American citizen.

The novel is presented to be of the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre of literature. McCarthy utilises simplistic and depressing vocabulary to suggest that everything beautiful has died, due to some kind of devastation, and that the only thing left is raw humanity. The unsettling genre of dystopia is evident through how the man washes a "dead man's brains" out of his son's hair and call it his "job". This is indicative of how society has fallen apart as this action would never happen in a "normal" world.

The post-apocalyptic nature of the novel can be identified through the "silence". It implies that a worldwide catastrophe has stopped the buzz of life. Something has wiped out civilisation, leaving only a few survivors, including the man and the boy. It's created a divide between "good guys" and "bad guys", showing that people have to had to fend for themselves, with some resorting to violence and cruelty.



- The story (what might happen)
It's implied that the man and the boy must undertake a journey, particularly when the boy says "We should go, Papa". He seems insistent on leaving the place they're in, which suggests they're in some kind of danger. The fact that they're eating foods like "canned hams" indicates that finding food is an integral part of their journey, the story revolves around them surviving. Within the story, the characters come across miserable surroundings as they follow the seemingly never-ending road, encountering extreme hardships as they slowly make their way across a dead world to salvation.


- Themes (the ideas it might raise)
One of the prominent themes in The Road is that of survival. The man and the boy must fight their way through the dangers they come across to reach a place of safety. There's a particular focus on food, as that's the key ingredient for survival. They eat anything good they can find - "tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots". Another important theme is the inevitability of death, particularly when associated with a post-apocalyptic society. There's no sense of hope left in the world as it's been ripped apart, leaving only death to come.


- Characters and relationships
The key relationship in The Road is between the man and the boy, it's a father/son relationship. However, it isn't a typical representation of this bond. The man seems distant from his son, never showing much emotion in his presence. This could be to protect the boy from becoming emotionally attached to him, so that if something bad was the happen to the man (which it does), the boy can carry on living. In a way, this is the most loving thing to do as the man is protecting the boy. The relationship between the man and the woman (the boy's parents) is briefly touched upon. It's stated in the novel that when she commits suicide "the coldness of it was her final gift". This implies the relationship had turned bitter by the end as she'd ignored the man's pleas to stay, but he still misses her and does remember her fondly.

The characters themselves don't have any personal identities. The only name we're given is "Ely" (the old man), however this turns out to be a fake name. This implies that names and identification aren't important in the post-apocalyptic world. All that matters is survival, at all costs. The lack of names also suggests that, in theory, the characters are more representative of humankind. Names are a way to differentiate people from each other, but McCarthy wanted to show that everyone is the same on the road.


- The way the story might be told
A way the story is told is through simple sentences. An example of this is the repetition of "Okay? Okay." The simplicity of this phrase suggests that life has become straightforward on the road (to an extent), it's all about survival. There isn't much punctuation, with McCarthy only using full stops regularly (with the occasional comma and apostrophe). This adds to the telling of the story as the lack of punctuation reflects the lack of beauty and complexity in the world, post-apocalypse. Opposed to this is the descriptive way McCarthy writes. In the novel, descriptions such as "he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets and they went back across the yard to the bunker" are used. The extensiveness of these descriptions give the reader a vivid image of the situation, that even though a catastrophe has happened, life is carrying on.

5 + 5 = 1

Horror - McCarthy recycled ideas from 1970s B-movie horror films, such as "Dawn of the Dead" and "The Hills Have Eyes", but made the themes less satirical so they would incite fear in the reader.

Post-modern - McCarthy deliberately juxtaposes themes, through post-modernism, to make a statement about there being no real truth.

War - The tensions of the Cold War and the fear of nuclear attacks influenced McCarthy's writing as he grew up in this time, surrounded by the paranoia of it all.

Death - The boy is constantly questioning the man about the possibility of them dying, which is made more powerful by the fact they encounter dead creatures and bodies throughout their journey.

Apocalypse - It's evident throughout the novel that a catastrophic event has taken place, leaving a desolate and bare world behind.


DYSTOPIA

Images the novel reminds me of