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