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.