In the pages i read in the book the road, 91-135, I was shocked. The people who were locked up in that room were going to be eaten! I thought that they would at the very least not bet treated like cattle. One of the dead ones didn't even have legs because they were eaten by cannibals. The Father and the son thankfully got out, but mistakenly dropped their liter.
Later, near the end of this section, I read that they found a chamber that was buried under the ground. I believe it could be a positive thing because if it had people in it, there would not be an underground chamber, but a room with a basement. What i really hope to be in their is food. G-d knows they need it.
This book has a very depressing tone. It is hard to imagine how freezing cold they must be! I admire the father's creative ways of keeping the boy warm. As Alex said, I was definately surprised to find people in the basement. Luckily the father decides to leave because he knows that it is not safe there. They then travel to another house when Papa finds apples and they eat them together. They are worried that they are going to die from starvation which is a devastating thought. The boy mentions thinking that they only have up to 10 days to live. The boy thinks that they are walking over a graveyard and the father and son sit in silence realizing that this could soon be them...I enjoy reading how loving the father is to his son.It is wonderful to see the closeness of their relationship. They will do anything for each other, like if the boy is tired, the father will stop for him, or if the boy is cold, Papa will find a way to make him warmer.
I too was surprised to read that the people were trapped in the basement, but I suspected the "bad guys" were eating other survivors. I was not surprised that the father promised the son that they'd never eat another person. If I was in his situation I would do the same. I think this shows how good the father and son are. This promise alone proves that the new world will not corrupt them. I too hope they find food and warmth in the underground chamber. They definitely deserve some good in their lives. I wonder if they will ever find other good people(who are not kept as food)? It seems as though the man and his son have only run into the "bad guys". Have all the good people all been captured? Yes, their relationship is moving. It provides relief from the dire situation. The father lives for the son, and vice versa. If he were alone, the father would most likely give up. But he pushes on so that his son can live. This novel correctly displays how far love can go.
This book just keeps getting better and better! As well as creepier and creepier... I was shocked and somewhat horrified to read about the people in the basement. The poor child, I don't know how he can go on, those mental images are so gross. And the way McCarthy described the smell, it was just so vivid. Finding the alive, half-eaten humans there just proves the point that in that day and age people are resorting to the unthinkable. It reminds me of the book The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess, it takes place in the future where there is so much over population that the government send humans into a fake war just so they kill each other, and the dead are eaten because there is a shortage of food. But in The Road it is completely the opposite yet the same. Opposite in that in The Road there are hardly any alive but the same in that there are shortages of food and are resorting to canibalism.
I find it very predictable that the father and son always find just enough materials to survive, like on pg. 121 when there just happens to be some old apples and on pg. 122 when the father happens to stumble upon a well of fresh water. With this predictability I think the father ans son will be able to survive and reach their destination.
I felt this section was a little slow and predictable, but I still found it a bit informative and positive. We readers finally find out what the "bad guys" are doing with those captives. The passage when they find the prisoners in the basement and the man who had his legs eaten was terrifying to read. Even more terrifying, which no one has listed, was when the man was asking his son to kill himself if he got caught. Can you imagine asking your child to do that?
But as usual, they duo escape, but have no food or water. But they find an old farm and survive on dried apples, seeds, and, by a stroke of good luck, fresh clean water from a secret well. This raises the question that the other water was tainted somehow? The book never really states that they got their water from the rivers or from the rain.
It seems their luck keeps taking a turn for the better in the last leg of the section they find a hatch buried in the ground. I doubt it's filled with future meals for the "bad guys." Maybe some sort of bomb shelter.
Is it just me or does it seem like that anything bad that could possibly happen has? cannibals? I guess when the world is basically over you have to eat something but seriously. EW!!!!!
I was relieved when the dad found all the apples. I was really worried that the boy was going to die and that the father would continue on all alone. That would break my heart.
It also seems that the farther they move south on the road the more people they find. I think that soon the father is going to get so desperate for food or shelter or something that he is going to have to talk to the people instead of running away and going to hide from them.
The suspense and tone McCarthy uses is amazing. This book grabs my attention and I can't stop reading.
Although I hate books with great detail, I think in the case of "The Road" the detail is necessary.
I am extremely confused and upset by the scene in which the survivors have been found by papa but he can do nothing but run. Their pleading for help was so great yet I’m not exactly sure how papa and the boy got away.
Where are the “bad guys” and why did they not just shoot papa and the boy when they were in the house. It is obviously that the “bad guys” out number papa and the boy in power and people. How did they possibly let these two survivors go free?
As the book continues, I am getting more attached to the boy. I fear for him and his life. I also have begun truly appreciating this man, so sick and tired but never forgetting his quest for his son’s safety.
However, in my opinion living in a world like this with no salvation is living an almost empty life. I know that I could not be strong enough to survive and I fear that the boy and papa will soon reach that point.
I was so surprised when I read about the cannibals who were locked up, I probably read that section about 5 times before the whole thing sunk in. I feel so bad for the boy, he has to grow up in this terrible world, always moving and freezing, never time to rest peacefully, on the constant lookout for food, and ever-wary for people who just might be trying to kill you. I think the father is doing the best he can to keep this boy alive, he always regards him in a nice tone, it seems. Whenever a danger presents itself to the boy and his father, the father always puts the boy first. This world is so catastrophic, so barbaric, it's incredible. Hopefully our world never experiences such horrific events.
On pages 122-123 the father gets really lucky. He is clever enough to follow the pipeline on the corner of the barn house, then to a concrete tank, but then went back to get a broom to lift the tank. Under the tank, was a green brass ring pull like some kind of trap door so, he swept the boards with the broom to open it. Down inside the abyss was sweet water and once he drank it, nothing seemed so good.
It shows how significant water is to them. Me, I can just go to my kitchen and grab bottled water. Unfortunately, many people in other parts of the world are suffering to similar conditions to what Papa and his son are going through. Such as starvation and poverty. The father shows great responsibility to his son by finding different solutions to keep him warm, finding food and water, and telling him everything will be okay.
The conflicts I see coming up are how long the father will live? He seems as if he is getting somewhat weaker. If the son does not start helping out soon, he might not be able to take care of himself when he's alone. Hopefully, they will stay "good" and alive.
I noticed that the boy always wants to help the other things in need. He wanted to help the dog earlier, he wanted to help the boy earlier, and now he wants to help the dying people. I think that this characteristic could be his downfall. I also did not understand why the man would teach his son how to kill himself. Didn’t he say earlier that he didn't even want the boy to think of suicide....I guess you could say that the man's views have changed and that he is a dynamic character. I can't believe I am saying this, but McCarthy's creativeness and imagery have really made me want to read on. This book reminds me of the TV show Lost. You don't really know what’s going on, but you want to see what happens, and why it all happened.
So this book has mainly turned into the struggle for the boy and his father to survive. I enjoyed the part when they entered the house with the hatch in it. There was defiantly something going on with the boy because he totally knew something bad was going to happen because he like flipped out when they would enter the house. So I think the people who are eating other people started this whole war thing so that they could eat the dead people in order to survive. And now that they have finished eating the dead people they are going kill everyone who is still alive. I would be scared out of my mind if I was one of the people still alive. I think the rest of the book is how the father and son survive in this uncivilized world.
I find this book to be very suspenseful. I was surprised that the people that were locked up in the basement were going to be eaten. I like how the father cares for the boy even with the harsh conditions. I am enjoying reading this book and can not wait to finish it.
This book is not very exciting. I read this and found that whenever they were presented with a challenge they conquered it right when it would kill them if they didn't. The dad lies to the son when he says they won't be cannibals. Anyone will turn cannibal if hungry enough.
ok. this book is one of the best novels i have ever read in english before. none have every really caught my interest but this one did. mccarthy is such a descriptive writter. the boy and the father are in time of using what they know on how to survive. i dont understand how they can survive with such harsh conditions but the father makes sure the son is ok which leads him into showing the boy how to kill himself which i dont really understand. when they went into the basement i thought it was weird on how they saw zoombies but they left there and went some where else which was the farm where they found food to eat so they dont starve to death. i find it amazing that the father and son are surviving on little food and sleep. if i was in that situation i think i would have a hard time. i am anticipating to see what is going to happen in the next 45 pages.
I agree with all the previous comments, this book is amazing. The suspense and detail are incredible, especially for such a simple style of writing.
Like everyone else, I too am drawn to the characters. The boy is lovable in his innocence and good nature. The father is respectful and loving, as he represents through his actions with the boy. I feel as if I personally know the characters, I hope they have success in their survival and in finding warmer weather.
The living conditions in this book are unthinkable. I can not imagine wandering the streets with no place to live, getting excited by finding scraps of food on the dirt floor. When the son asks the father if they will eat people, I was glad that the answer was no. I for one would never even think to do so. But a person must really be at ends meat to want to eat a person because it is their only food for survival. The father was so happy to find water. As Anastasia said, I can just go downstairs and grab a bottle of water. But these people can't. It is such a priviledge and a reward to find water, something that we take for granted every day. I think that this book really makes you thankful for all that you have in life because it makes you realize what life would be like without them. As I said earlier, I love the relationship of the father and son. In a way it reminds me of my mom and I because we are incredibly close and we would do anything for each other, just like the father and son.
I could not imagine what it would be like if this were me. I do not understand how they can keep going. It would drive me insane. I believe that if I were in the boy's position that I would want to die. This is a grim thought but I know this to be true.
Cormac McCarthy uses a lot of details throughout this section in the book which I thinks adds to the suspense. The most powerful scene by far is when we see the room full of people who are begging for help. It is amazing to watch how the father reacts to this situation. He is surprised that he ran into these people and has to deal with this awkward situation but he known that this is the way that people live. The father knows he can't help these people but he has enough trouble protecting himself and his son so he does the only thing he can do, run away in order to protect themselves. I think it was important to see not the bad guys but what they are doing that makes them bad. The young boy doesn't know what is going on, but he hardly ever does because this is a strange world for everyone. The father has some experience because he was there from the beginning and has to carry out the mission that his wife sent him on. The boy however was born into this. Instead of worrying about school the next day he has to worry about staying alive. I feel sorry for the child because he is confused and is looking for answers that no one really knows.
The introduction of the bad guys marching got me intensely concentrated on the book. This explains something about how McCarthy saw how humans were. In the story Lord of the Flies, it gave a fictional account of how children would survive o this non-adult island. It was whether they could create a society or become a savage. In McCarthy point of view he sees human as savages and in a horrible event, human will become such as these in the book. It’s scary to say but things like this happen but not as serious. In our life, when things get a little tough we lose our since of reason and do any selfish things to get away from the feeling of danger. It’s always about choices that we make that change the people and the area around us.
I do not particularly understand what the author wants us to see in the boy. In the hard times, the boy always asks if we are going to die. The father tries to comfort him but the son knows the cold harsh parts of life. So is the author trying to represent more of a conscience of the man who trudges on the lifeless world?
You can tell that the father and son cannot make it much longer. The father is coughing a lot more and the son is getting weaker and paler. In one line it says, "They had no food and little sleep in five days." That must be really harsh. You have to constantly move in fear that there are the bad guys coming and have nothing to eat while you are at it. It shows some will they have. These two people could easily become bad guys and eat other people like those people did to the captives. If I was them, I might have joined the bad guys because it offered more and better instead of the harsh life the father and son lived through.
The whole thought about the captive people and how they were treated frightened me. It was always a thought, but I never actually believe that they would eat one another. It’s frightening because all those naked people used to be like the father and son just wandering. It represents a fate that they might face. It shows the motivation of the people that they only need themselves and other is just resources for their own survival.
At the end he finds another bunker kind of things give me doubts about whether the fathers should go in there. Still the father has a legitimate reason which was to eat.
A man with such strong hope and determination is rare in the world we live in today. When I encounter a challenge to hard, I give up and try to find another route to help make my life easier. It is because humans would not want to feel pain and try to live their life easily. Compared my troubles to this man is nothing. My problems seem so miniscule and I am glad I do not need to live in a world like that. For example if I am playing a game that is too hard to finish, I either cheat or just skip it and progress with the game. My game problems vs. his hope to survive a dead world will always bring his survival to the more important. I think the author did a good detail explanation on this man and I can reflect off of his character.
Overall the characters are stagnant and the bad guys still antagonize the main characters, which are the father and son. The father still has hope that better things will come and the son is questioning him on how valid his belief is. The purpose of the author in this 45 page was to show the dangers of human character and motivated by selfishness. The bad guys always have choices to pick between good and bad but I guess people make the wrong choice and join the evil.
The man and boy are thinking they're going to die. The dad is weak. The kid is shivering and weak and falling over. The dad has to wrap his feet in the blanket and the snow is half a foot deep. The creepy people are around them and they haven't had food in five days. They see the big house and go inside even though the boy is scared. They find all the naked people screaming for help downstairs and they have to make a run for it. The dad gives the kid the gun himself in case he has to kill himself. They hear the creepy creatures attacking and eating all the naked people in the house. They're both really sick now and they have to eat hay. Then they find some yummy scrumptious apples to eat. It's raining and the road rats talk about eating the naked people. Then they drank some very satisfying ditch water.
Although Cormac McCarthy is an excellent writer, I don't find myself enjoying this book so far. His view of life is extremely different then any way i would ever perceive it to be. It is somewhat interesting to hear a different point of view, however, in my opinion, he has a very depressing view on life. The words he uses to describe things and the tone he sets throughout the book keeps you feeling sad, lonely, and depressed. As he tells the story of the dad & son, he never once mentions any sign of happiness or hope they might have in a positive way. Instead, he writes it as a negative thing & wants you to analyze is as maybe something positive & meaning something more. When I got to the part when they found the people in the basement, this COULD show a bit of hope for the father and son because it showed that they were not the only two "good guys" that survived. However, McCarthy wrote it as a bad omen because there are bad guys that are eating the survivors so this only scares the father and son instead of maybe giving them the slightest bit of hope. Fear seems to be the strongest emotion shown so far throughout this book. Even when the father and son find food to eat, the only thing they can think about is fear that they will maybe soon die of starvation. I truly hope that as the book goes on, McCarthy will show some sort of other emotion other than fear in the father and son.
28 comments:
In the pages i read in the book the road, 91-135, I was shocked. The people who were locked up in that room were going to be eaten! I thought that they would at the very least not bet treated like cattle. One of the dead ones didn't even have legs because they were eaten by cannibals. The Father and the son thankfully got out, but mistakenly dropped their liter.
Later, near the end of this section, I read that they found a chamber that was buried under the ground. I believe it could be a positive thing because if it had people in it, there would not be an underground chamber, but a room with a basement. What i really hope to be in their is food. G-d knows they need it.
This book has a very depressing tone. It is hard to imagine how freezing cold they must be! I admire the father's creative ways of keeping the boy warm. As Alex said, I was definately surprised to find people in the basement. Luckily the father decides to leave because he knows that it is not safe there. They then travel to another house when Papa finds apples and they eat them together. They are worried that they are going to die from starvation which is a devastating thought. The boy mentions thinking that they only have up to 10 days to live. The boy thinks that they are walking over a graveyard and the father and son sit in silence realizing that this could soon be them...I enjoy reading how loving the father is to his son.It is wonderful to see the closeness of their relationship. They will do anything for each other, like if the boy is tired, the father will stop for him, or if the boy is cold, Papa will find a way to make him warmer.
I too was surprised to read that the people were trapped in the basement, but I suspected the "bad guys" were eating other survivors.
I was not surprised that the father promised the son that they'd never eat another person. If I was in his situation I would do the same. I think this shows how good the father and son are. This promise alone proves that the new world will not corrupt them.
I too hope they find food and warmth in the underground chamber. They definitely deserve some good in their lives.
I wonder if they will ever find other good people(who are not kept as food)? It seems as though the man and his son have only run into the "bad guys". Have all the good people all been captured?
Yes, their relationship is moving. It provides relief from the dire situation. The father lives for the son, and vice versa. If he were alone, the father would most likely give up. But he pushes on so that his son can live. This novel correctly displays how far love can go.
This book just keeps getting better and better! As well as creepier and creepier... I was shocked and somewhat horrified to read about the people in the basement. The poor child, I don't know how he can go on, those mental images are so gross. And the way McCarthy described the smell, it was just so vivid. Finding the alive, half-eaten humans there just proves the point that in that day and age people are resorting to the unthinkable. It reminds me of the book The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess, it takes place in the future where there is so much over population that the government send humans into a fake war just so they kill each other, and the dead are eaten because there is a shortage of food. But in The Road it is completely the opposite yet the same. Opposite in that in The Road there are hardly any alive but the same in that there are shortages of food and are resorting to canibalism.
I find it very predictable that the father and son always find just enough materials to survive, like on pg. 121 when there just happens to be some old apples and on pg. 122 when the father happens to stumble upon a well of fresh water. With this predictability I think the father ans son will be able to survive and reach their destination.
I felt this section was a little slow and predictable, but I still found it a bit informative and positive. We readers finally find out what the "bad guys" are doing with those captives. The passage when they find the prisoners in the basement and the man who had his legs eaten was terrifying to read. Even more terrifying, which no one has listed, was when the man was asking his son to kill himself if he got caught. Can you imagine asking your child to do that?
But as usual, they duo escape, but have no food or water. But they find an old farm and survive on dried apples, seeds, and, by a stroke of good luck, fresh clean water from a secret well. This raises the question that the other water was tainted somehow? The book never really states that they got their water from the rivers or from the rain.
It seems their luck keeps taking a turn for the better in the last leg of the section they find a hatch buried in the ground. I doubt it's filled with future meals for the "bad guys." Maybe some sort of bomb shelter.
Is it just me or does it seem like that anything bad that could possibly happen has? cannibals? I guess when the world is basically over you have to eat something but seriously. EW!!!!!
I was relieved when the dad found all the apples. I was really worried that the boy was going to die and that the father would continue on all alone. That would break my heart.
It also seems that the farther they move south on the road the more people they find. I think that soon the father is going to get so desperate for food or shelter or something that he is going to have to talk to the people instead of running away and going to hide from them.
Wow where can I start...
This book is amazing.
The suspense and tone McCarthy uses is amazing. This book grabs my attention and I can't stop reading.
Although I hate books with great detail, I think in the case of "The Road" the detail is necessary.
I am extremely confused and upset by the scene in which the survivors have been found by papa but he can do nothing but run. Their pleading for help was so great yet I’m not exactly sure how papa and the boy got away.
Where are the “bad guys” and why did they not just shoot papa and the boy when they were in the house. It is obviously that the “bad guys” out number papa and the boy in power and people. How did they possibly let these two survivors go free?
As the book continues, I am getting more attached to the boy. I fear for him and his life. I also have begun truly appreciating this man, so sick and tired but never forgetting his quest for his son’s safety.
However, in my opinion living in a world like this with no salvation is living an almost empty life. I know that I could not be strong enough to survive and I fear that the boy and papa will soon reach that point.
I was so surprised when I read about the cannibals who were locked up, I probably read that section about 5 times before the whole thing sunk in. I feel so bad for the boy, he has to grow up in this terrible world, always moving and freezing, never time to rest peacefully, on the constant lookout for food, and ever-wary for people who just might be trying to kill you. I think the father is doing the best he can to keep this boy alive, he always regards him in a nice tone, it seems. Whenever a danger presents itself to the boy and his father, the father always puts the boy first. This world is so catastrophic, so barbaric, it's incredible. Hopefully our world never experiences such horrific events.
On pages 122-123 the father gets really lucky. He is clever enough to follow the pipeline on the corner of the barn house, then to a concrete tank, but then went back to get a broom to lift the tank. Under the tank, was a green brass ring pull like some kind of trap door so, he swept the boards with the broom to open it. Down inside the abyss was sweet water and once he drank it, nothing seemed so good.
It shows how significant water is to them. Me, I can just go to my kitchen and grab bottled water. Unfortunately, many people in other parts of the world are suffering to similar conditions to what Papa and his son are going through. Such as starvation and poverty. The father shows great responsibility to his son by finding different solutions to keep him warm, finding food and water, and telling him everything will be okay.
The conflicts I see coming up are how long the father will live? He seems as if he is getting somewhat weaker. If the son does not start helping out soon, he might not be able to take care of himself when he's alone. Hopefully, they will stay "good" and alive.
I noticed that the boy always wants to help the other things in need. He wanted to help the dog earlier, he wanted to help the boy earlier, and now he wants to help the dying people. I think that this characteristic could be his downfall.
I also did not understand why the man would teach his son how to kill himself. Didn’t he say earlier that he didn't even want the boy to think of suicide....I guess you could say that the man's views have changed and that he is a dynamic character.
I can't believe I am saying this, but McCarthy's creativeness and imagery have really made me want to read on.
This book reminds me of the TV show Lost. You don't really know what’s going on, but you want to see what happens, and why it all happened.
So this book has mainly turned into the struggle for the boy and his father to survive.
I enjoyed the part when they entered the house with the hatch in it. There was defiantly something going on with the boy because he totally knew something bad was going to happen because he like flipped out when they would enter the house. So I think the people who are eating other people started this whole war thing so that they could eat the dead people in order to survive. And now that they have finished eating the dead people they are going kill everyone who is still alive. I would be scared out of my mind if I was one of the people still alive.
I think the rest of the book is how the father and son survive in this uncivilized world.
I find this book to be very suspenseful. I was surprised that the people that were locked up in the basement were going to be eaten. I like how the father cares for the boy even with the harsh conditions. I am enjoying reading this book and can not wait to finish it.
This book is not very exciting. I read this and found that whenever they were presented with a challenge they conquered it right when it would kill them if they didn't. The dad lies to the son when he says they won't be cannibals. Anyone will turn cannibal if hungry enough.
ok. this book is one of the best novels i have ever read in english before. none have every really caught my interest but this one did. mccarthy is such a descriptive writter. the boy and the father are in time of using what they know on how to survive. i dont understand how they can survive with such harsh conditions but the father makes sure the son is ok which leads him into showing the boy how to kill himself which i dont really understand. when they went into the basement i thought it was weird on how they saw zoombies but they left there and went some where else which was the farm where they found food to eat so they dont starve to death. i find it amazing that the father and son are surviving on little food and sleep. if i was in that situation i think i would have a hard time. i am anticipating to see what is going to happen in the next 45 pages.
I agree with all the previous comments, this book is amazing. The suspense and detail are incredible, especially for such a simple style of writing.
Like everyone else, I too am drawn to the characters. The boy is lovable in his innocence and good nature. The father is respectful and loving, as he represents through his actions with the boy. I feel as if I personally know the characters, I hope they have success in their survival and in finding warmer weather.
The living conditions in this book are unthinkable. I can not imagine wandering the streets with no place to live, getting excited by finding scraps of food on the dirt floor. When the son asks the father if they will eat people, I was glad that the answer was no. I for one would never even think to do so. But a person must really be at ends meat to want to eat a person because it is their only food for survival. The father was so happy to find water. As Anastasia said, I can just go downstairs and grab a bottle of water. But these people can't. It is such a priviledge and a reward to find water, something that we take for granted every day. I think that this book really makes you thankful for all that you have in life because it makes you realize what life would be like without them. As I said earlier, I love the relationship of the father and son. In a way it reminds me of my mom and I because we are incredibly close and we would do anything for each other, just like the father and son.
I could not imagine what it would be like if this were me. I do not understand how they can keep going. It would drive me insane. I believe that if I were in the boy's position that I would want to die. This is a grim thought but I know this to be true.
Cormac McCarthy uses a lot of details throughout this section in the book which I thinks adds to the suspense. The most powerful scene by far is when we see the room full of people who are begging for help. It is amazing to watch how the father reacts to this situation. He is surprised that he ran into these people and has to deal with this awkward situation but he known that this is the way that people live. The father knows he can't help these people but he has enough trouble protecting himself and his son so he does the only thing he can do, run away in order to protect themselves. I think it was important to see not the bad guys but what they are doing that makes them bad. The young boy doesn't know what is going on, but he hardly ever does because this is a strange world for everyone. The father has some experience because he was there from the beginning and has to carry out the mission that his wife sent him on. The boy however was born into this. Instead of worrying about school the next day he has to worry about staying alive. I feel sorry for the child because he is confused and is looking for answers that no one really knows.
The introduction of the bad guys marching got me intensely concentrated on the book. This explains something about how McCarthy saw how humans were. In the story Lord of the Flies, it gave a fictional account of how children would survive o this non-adult island. It was whether they could create a society or become a savage. In McCarthy point of view he sees human as savages and in a horrible event, human will become such as these in the book. It’s scary to say but things like this happen but not as serious. In our life, when things get a little tough we lose our since of reason and do any selfish things to get away from the feeling of danger. It’s always about choices that we make that change the people and the area around us.
I do not particularly understand what the author wants us to see in the boy. In the hard times, the boy always asks if we are going to die. The father tries to comfort him but the son knows the cold harsh parts of life. So is the author trying to represent more of a conscience of the man who trudges on the lifeless world?
You can tell that the father and son cannot make it much longer. The father is coughing a lot more and the son is getting weaker and paler. In one line it says, "They had no food and little sleep in five days." That must be really harsh. You have to constantly move in fear that there are the bad guys coming and have nothing to eat while you are at it. It shows some will they have. These two people could easily become bad guys and eat other people like those people did to the captives. If I was them, I might have joined the bad guys because it offered more and better instead of the harsh life the father and son lived through.
The whole thought about the captive people and how they were treated frightened me. It was always a thought, but I never actually believe that they would eat one another. It’s frightening because all those naked people used to be like the father and son just wandering. It represents a fate that they might face. It shows the motivation of the people that they only need themselves and other is just resources for their own survival.
At the end he finds another bunker kind of things give me doubts about whether the fathers should go in there. Still the father has a legitimate reason which was to eat.
A man with such strong hope and determination is rare in the world we live in today. When I encounter a challenge to hard, I give up and try to find another route to help make my life easier. It is because humans would not want to feel pain and try to live their life easily. Compared my troubles to this man is nothing. My problems seem so miniscule and I am glad I do not need to live in a world like that. For example if I am playing a game that is too hard to finish, I either cheat or just skip it and progress with the game. My game problems vs. his hope to survive a dead world will always bring his survival to the more important. I think the author did a good detail explanation on this man and I can reflect off of his character.
Overall the characters are stagnant and the bad guys still antagonize the main characters, which are the father and son. The father still has hope that better things will come and the son is questioning him on how valid his belief is. The purpose of the author in this 45 page was to show the dangers of human character and motivated by selfishness. The bad guys always have choices to pick between good and bad but I guess people make the wrong choice and join the evil.
The man and boy are thinking they're going to die. The dad is weak. The kid is shivering and weak and falling over. The dad has to wrap his feet in the blanket and the snow is half a foot deep. The creepy people are around them and they haven't had food in five days. They see the big house and go inside even though the boy is scared. They find all the naked people screaming for help downstairs and they have to make a run for it. The dad gives the kid the gun himself in case he has to kill himself. They hear the creepy creatures attacking and eating all the naked people in the house. They're both really sick now and they have to eat hay. Then they find some yummy scrumptious apples to eat. It's raining and the road rats talk about eating the naked people. Then they drank some very satisfying ditch water.
Although Cormac McCarthy is an excellent writer, I don't find myself enjoying this book so far. His view of life is extremely different then any way i would ever perceive it to be. It is somewhat interesting to hear a different point of view, however, in my opinion, he has a very depressing view on life. The words he uses to describe things and the tone he sets throughout the book keeps you feeling sad, lonely, and depressed. As he tells the story of the dad & son, he never once mentions any sign of happiness or hope they might have in a positive way. Instead, he writes it as a negative thing & wants you to analyze is as maybe something positive & meaning something more.
When I got to the part when they found the people in the basement, this COULD show a bit of hope for the father and son because it showed that they were not the only two "good guys" that survived. However, McCarthy wrote it as a bad omen because there are bad guys that are eating the survivors so this only scares the father and son instead of maybe giving them the slightest bit of hope.
Fear seems to be the strongest emotion shown so far throughout this book. Even when the father and son find food to eat, the only thing they can think about is fear that they will maybe soon die of starvation. I truly hope that as the book goes on, McCarthy will show some sort of other emotion other than fear in the father and son.
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