Summary Analysis The Road

The Road so far is written exactly like the title it follows a slow steady trail into the story. As things unfold the boy and his father continue on their treacherous journey though the snow and lack of food make it difficult. The boy is obviously very young though through the trauma and hardship in his life he has developed a sense of maturity. While walking they come to a town destroyed and decrepit as the father searches for food the young boy sees what he believes is a child his immediate reaction is to race after searching desperately for the figure. His impulsiveness though childlike, stems from the connection he feels with someone in the same situation whom he feels compassion for. The boy is upset though he lets it go and the journey continues rather uneventful for a time. They travel cold and hungry until an event which for me was extremely disturbing occurs. The so called "bad guys" are spotted and as the two hide a disturbing picture is shown. A description of a band of people in what could be described as a primitive society is given. Men marching in a line with slaves in chains and women pregnant and dirty, then what is a sex slave walks behind them. This description was the first time since I began reading that I truly saw the intensity of the writing.

The man:
The story is often told through the mans eyes describing his thoughts and actions. He is the caretaker and fills the role of protagonist though foreshadowing shows this will change dramatically later on. He struggles to take care of the boy and sees this as his only purpose his dedication to the boy stems from a fear of losing what little he has left. After his wife left him stating she did not want to live in this world he developed a determination to survive and keep his son alive. The man is strong he pushes himself to keep them going and often sacrifices himself for the boy. His persistent cough and the boys insistence on him giving to himself shows what could be a death later on. Mention of death is often shown typically in questions asked by the boy as his fear grows with their journey. "Do you think I lie to you? No. But you think I might lie to you about dying. Yes. Okay I might. But were not dying. Okay." This conversation between the boy and the man takes place after several days without food and a run in with the "bad guys". In my opinion the man does not think he is lying he so desperately needs for them to live that he sees this as the only option.