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.