In this chapter we have seen a lot of changes in the characters. The first change i saw was the man showed us his weakness. When the man got sick he made them stay in one spot. Also the man started to have more flash backs about the way life used to be. I think this is important because he told the boy that you know you have given up when you dream about the way the world used to be. Next we can see the boy maturing. When the man ask the boy if he wants to eat the cans of food the boy has to help make the decision. Normally the man makes all the decision. I think the dad knows something is going to happen to him and he wants to prepare the boy so he can survive on his own, The boy cries when he gets out of the ocean. I think this is the first time we see the boy not cry out of fear but for no reason or some reason we don't know. Previously the boy has cried out of fear or a bad dream, but now we don't know why he is crying. Does any one have any guess as to why the boy was crying? And my last questions are What is in the Boat? DO you think there are people? And do you think there are fish still in the ocean or have they all died out?
So now they're walking and seeing the looted and burned cities. Everything's covered in black powder. They were 50 miles off track. They sleep on some cardboard boxes and it rains all nite. Then they find a drugstore with a person's head on the counter. If they want, it's theirs for free. The dad tells the kid there really are more good guys like them out there. They run into three other sad lookin' guys. This book is really depressing.
A thousand burning snakes - was that a dream? This book is about hanging on to every last hope, cuz he seems like there is none. But what for? They had to walk past all the dead burned bodes looking like Halloween mummies. People are following them. Their food is almost gone. They see the smoke and ... isn't that great. A nice little BBQ baby. This book is REALLY sick.
They're starving now because the food is gone. There's another boring house to check out. So they make a beautiful roaring fire in the fireplace to cook up some stewed poisoned tomatoes. Yummmm...with potatoes and beans. They get to eat on China like they're at the Ritz. So they moved in cuz it was soooo nice there. And guess what? It rains again. Their whole life is starving and smelling and pouring rain.
They had to walk forever to get to the beach. Just like Malibu, right? How'd you like to surf in gray soup? They wait for what? Who's going to come to save them? The dad checks out this really cool boat. So where are they going to sail to I wonder?
These two guys really love each other a lot. That's the moral of the story - hanging out beyond the point of hope because the human spirit just wills us on another and another and another moment.
The author's use of Pathos is quite amazing. Anyone can relate to an event or one of the characters. It was such a let down that there was nothing at the sea except for what they have seen this whole time, death and ash. When the boy ran into the water, it reminded me of when I first went into the ocean. I wonder if they will just stay at the sea? I think they will keep moving because I believe that the father and son still have hope.
I agree with stanislov, the Pathos in this novel is incredible. He takes two characters that don't even have confirmed names, and yet, McCarthy makes you feel the sorrow, despair, and fear the man and his son feel. I personally hope my writing and drawings are able to evoke this kind of raw emotion in the future.
What I found most emotional in this section was when the two stumble upon a dead, roasted infant over the fire. I was shocked and mortified by it and found it a bit hard to read on afterwards. But despite that, I have to give it to McCarthy for having the...errhm...”cajones" to go that far to really evoke the emotions of the reader to that imagery. I have to wonder where that baby came from. Was the mother the pregnant woman the man and his son saw crossing the bridge with the three men earlier in the section?
Throughout the chapter the man's health is steadily deteriorating and it's becoming harder and harder for him to wake up. At the end of the section, the two finally make it to the coast, although it's not the beautiful dream it once was in the man's memories. The waters are grey, devoid of life, and smells of iodine.
This book has been an exciting ride and I'm sad to see it ending soon. But now that the boy and his father have reached their destination at last what lays in store for them now? Now that the book is drawing to a close how will McCarthy wrap up his exciting novel? And one final question, what do the boy and the father mean when they said "because we're the ones holding the fire."? Are they holding some kind of hope for all humanity? Or are they just speaking about their oil they use for fires.
In pages 181-224, I believe that the boy is maturing. He conveys it as he passes abandoned possessions of travelers and a mile ahead he sees the decaying corpses of the travelers. Even though, the father questions what you put in your head is there forever and his son responds that it’s okay. The father then tells his son to not look, but the boy says they’ll still be there and why don’t we just go on. In the end, the dad agrees with his son. I can see where the dad is coming from, because he doesn’t want his son to observe the barbaric acts of the “bad guys.”
Furthermore, they enter a town with three anonymous men. For protection, the father withdraws the pistol and aims it at the unknown man and gradually the son and dad leave without any dilemma. The father and son notice a fire. They assume it’s the fire from the three men they came across earlier. What they see is absolutely horrifying, a charred infants head. This novel isn’t only sickening but unpleasant only because of Cormac McCarthy’s illustrative writing. There were also four people behind them and one being a pregnant woman. Who were they? Were they “good” or “bad?” Eventually they pass the bridge and disappear into the darkness.
As they are living in some house for a few days, the man believes that they’re no people in the house, because there are no tracks in the ash and no furniture burned in the fireplace. The boy says there could be people in here, because the wind blows the tracks away. Contradicting to what his father had said earlier. Kind of what teenagers do to their parents.
The man and son still have hope, because the man says your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that will be and you are happy again then you will have given up. And you can’t give up I wont let you. I’m very content that the father said this to his son, because I wish for the son to increase his hope as well.
As I also agree with Stanislov, this chapter portrays some pathos. Pathos by how you can imagine and feel the emotions of what is happening to the father and his son. In addition, pathos forms images relating to your past experiences to the hardships of the father and son.
In the beginning of pages 181-224, the boy has a dream where the father does not wake up.I think this is foreshadowing that the father will get sick. A frightening man held a pistol to the boys head and took their cart. Luckily, no one was injured. Later the father came down with a fever and the boy was terrified." Are you going to die?" he said. This to me was a very relatable scenario and I felt deep sorrow for the boy.
As they continue walking the road they get the feeling that someone is following them. They decide to hide and little did they know, three men and a pregnant woman were behind them. A disturbing thing that was mentioned was the infants chopped off head. It was so raw and bluntly written that it was difficult for me to read without being shocked.
I was pleasantly surprised that they found another house to stay in, although this time the food was not as good. But when you're in their situation you'll pretty much eat anything to survive.When it was raining the father put buckets under the holes of the ceiling to catch fresh water. It was their only source of water, so they took all that they could get, no matter the situation.
"He looked at the boy. He could see the disappointment in his face.I'm sorry it's not blue, he said. That's okay, said the boy" (215).It was depressing to read that the ocean was not blue. I think that this is something that everyone can relate to because everyone in this class has seen the ocean so they don't have to imagine it, it's real, and to have the ocean be black with ashes is a sickening thought. The boy wanted to swim so he took off his clothes and swam naked. The author descriptively described the boy. I could really get a sense of how skinny he actually was. They both see a boat and the father swims out to look at it. The boy wants to come but the father does not allow him to because he wants him to be on the lookout for others.
The boy is definitely maturing. You can tell by his actions and speech. He is showing more concern about his father, as expressed through his dream. He makes more decisions, he looks our for his father, and he is beginning to know what is best for them. He is learning that surviving is more important than doing the right thing. I believe he senses his father weakening, which foreshadows the man's death. The father shows signs of weakness through coughing, stopping, and dreaming about the way life used to be. It is as if he is stuck in the past, or given up on the future. I feel as though the only thing keeping him alive is the boy; if he knew the boy could survive on his own, he would have given up entirely and succumb to his illness.
I think we will find out about the boy's mysterious behaviors in the next chapters. I do not know why he cried after coming out of the ocean, but I imagine it had something to do with his father and accepting the situation that he will have to fend for himself soon. This same idea could very well be linked to the boys nightmares, especially of the ones he refuses to tell his father.
The boy is showing new strength and courage, another trait developed out of independence. This further foreshadows his fathers death in the future; he will have to be strong and fend for himself. I believe his bravery is expressed when he walked among the burnt bodies and saw the burnt infant without breaking down as he did earlier in the book.
It seems as though the father and son have switched places: the father used to care for the son fully and look to protect him, but now the son has begun looking out for his father. The father still continues to help his son, but it is his son that encourages him to go on, drink more water, eat more food. This could be a simple act of love or it could be a deeper one of concern.
Despite the boys rising maturity, he still has moments when he reverts back to his stubborn boyishness. For example, when he is hesitant to go to the farm house because he is scared. I believe the author is doing this to show that he is not ready to be on his own yet. He is not fully mature.
They made it to the sea a lot faster than I thought they would. It was anticlimactic, and almost depressing. They have been walking on the road for such a long time, and then they finally reach it and it's a let down. All that is there is the same thing they've been seeing the entire time, dust, ash and the occasional reminder that they are alone yet always surrounded by death.
My prediction is that the father and the boy will continue to keep moving. They are so used to moving and constantly walking that I don't think they'd be able to stay in one place. Especially because they will eventually run out of food.
I'm surprised at how the boy is maturing. The boy is thinking critically, like the father, although he still leaves out things when he thinks. He has learned to accept everything his father tells him, because he realizes that his father's advice is all he has. He is still cautious about exploring houses and other places, but why wouldn't he be? He has seen some pretty horrible things, he has the right to be scared. Also, the father's condition is getting worse. He got a fever and he's coughing more. Hopefully the boy's maturation will continue in case something ever happens to the father. It was terrible how that group of 3 men and the pregnant woman ate the infant, especially considering the father saw it while it was in the womb, so he knew where it came from. The arrival at the beach wasn't very exciting, I actually had to read it over again to realize where they were after the father said, "I'm sorry it's not blue." The poor boy wanted to swim in the ocean so badly that he was willing to risk his health to do so. But, I guess that is the the kind of world they live in. Where will they go after the beach? Is this as far south as they intended to go, or will they continue, and face their toughest challenges yet? I'm very interested to find out.
In this next section of reading, the author illustrates the world the father used to live in compared to the despair that is growing in the present. I like how the author uses pilgrim on page 181 to describe a person traveling on the road. The author sows how much the world has changed when the father says, " The sea?" I don’t know. It used to be." This means that before all the pain and suffering the world was different. The son also tells his father about a dream where the father would not wake up. I think this is foreshadowing some event that might come up. Also the father and son are talking about the truth. The father asks the son if he believes in the father. The son responds by saying he has too. It shows a deeper connection between the father and son because the son was born in this dangerous world so his father is like the only light that guides him in the dark land. The snakes confused me. Is it to represent the pain the father suffers because the snakes cannot scream when they are feeling immense pain. It was quite a depressing scene when they were talking about the dead bodies. Another scene that made me disgusted was the dead baby. Is it the same baby that came from the pregnant lady that the father had seen before? If it were then that would be horribly disgusting. The father was accepting that hope is slightly becoming less possible and death is approaching them. The father says, " He knew that he was placing hopes where he'd no reason to. He hoped it would get brighter where for all he knew the world grew darker daily." It was saddening that the ocean was polluted and destroyed but the author put this there to show that the hope the father and son was looking for was destroyed.
In this part, it is able to notice that the son has matured more as he progresses through the book while the father is steadily declining. The father is slowly getting worse coughs while the son is starting to whine less. The son can make decisions for himself now and the father does not have to control the son.
We have learned about Ethos, Pagos, and Logos. Ethos is shown because of the sticker that shows that he has won the Pulitzer Award that makes this book verifiable as a good book. With Pagos the author takes a stand on using the negative side to entrance the readers. His change in language compared to other authors is one reason for his power to attract people.
This situation where the people starve and have to fight to survive everyday is very brutal. I would not be able to survive in a world where men eat their own children and people steal and kill others for food. The author does a good job in showing the fear of the father against these kinds of people. The author also shows when the three people were trying to rob the father. This style of dog eat dog world is very different than our society of dog eat dog. It is the same but the author has taken it to a new extreme. The corrupt human nature causes such destruction.
I do not believe I can surpass the epicness of Joe Chi's post. I could not agree more with what he wrote. The boy is maturing very quickly. I am worried about the father's health. I cannot believe that the 3 men and the pregnant woman ate the infant. The book is getting very interesting.
I think this chapter was extremely emotional. It was very hard to read some of these scenes. When they found the cooked baby, there was a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach. The author shows that the boy is still somewhat naive because he always assumes someone is good until they prove that they are bad.
I find it sad that it seems that the adult is slowly starting to give up on himself, but I find it very comforting that he is holding on for his son. When they get to what is likely Mexico, as they did find a Spanish coin in the ground, they get to a beach and find a boat. I hope that once they're out there they will find that some fish. However, that is sadly unlikely. I can relate with feeling hopeless before in a Pathotic way, but my situation was much brighter then the one they are in. I think the son might make it, but I am starting to be not so sure abut the father.
This book has to be one of my favorite books ever. I never really like reading “english books” but this one I am in aww! And it keeps me on the edge of my sit while reading. The author uses pathos to help his readers feel what the characters feel. The boy is still maturing and becoming into a young man at such a young age. He shows his sense of maturity through what he does and how he presents himself. The father is deteriorating day by day with his sickness but the boy makes sure that he is still eating, resting, and drinking water. I believe that this is another way he is maturing because he is taking on the role of being a father to his own father. I believe that this is showing a sign of independence because he is making decisions without approval and trying to do what is best for his father and himself. They are beginning to run out of food so will they soon starve? Then they come across a fire and see a young child’s head. What I don’t understand is why the boy does not have an emotional effect like he did when he saw the ocean? Normal people would go crazy if they saw a chopped off head but be rather excited to see the ocean. The ocean is a peaceful place but in the story it is full of ash and smoke. It amazes me how people still have hope after going through several hard times. I can relate because I have gone through more than anyone would ever expect but I have come to realization that the only way to get through any obstacle is to be strong and to always have hope. With hope and with people around you that are supportive you can get through anything and learn life long lessons that will be significant later on.
I have noticed a theme in the way the man and his son communicate. The boy always seems to repeat the same thing the father previously says. It used to annoy me, but I have realized that this is one of McCarthy’s ways of showing that the son is dependent on the father and doesn’t think for himself. I don’t know if I overlooked it when reading, but why was the boy crying when he got out of the water? This may sound outrages but what if he stepped on something and it gets infected and something happens to the boy. Anyway, as we near the end of the book, I can’t help but think it will not be a happy ending. McCarthy has shown no sign of hope for the man and boy and I don’t see it happening later. My prediction is that the book will end with them walking down the road just as the book had started.
In this part of the book they finally made it to the sea, although it wasn't exactly how I pictured them getting there and it was quicker than I thought, there was still a sense of relief and accomplishment. They achieved their goal at last and we just want to enjoy this moment and not think about doing what next. That is why I think the boy is crying. Although since there isn't much there I would assume that they will still travel on the road. I also found that the boy is maturing. He is drifting away. Not drifting away with his father but drifting away from being an innocent child. He doesn't ask as many questions and he also understands why his father is making the decisions that he does. He does remain close with his father like when he calls out for him at the beach but he doesn't hear him. The boy is just growing up like everybody does. There are so many ways that this book could end which makes it interesting. I just hope that McCarthy doesn't make the ending too depressing.
In this chapter if you could even call it that. Cormac McCarthy really gets rolling, at least thats how it seems for me. The beginning of the book was very captivating yet I was able to put the book down for a few days at a time and not really think about reading it. Although the further I got the more i was drawn in. This book is simply a master piece. The child and the father have a much established relationship as they both rely so much on each-other for survival. In a way the boy and the father are serving there purpose in life as devoted human beings to surviving through the cold howling nights. McCarthy depicts this ash ridden, murderous, devouring, black, heap of a civilization.. planet in a much more detailed manner. I feel I am in the book riding shotgun with the Boy and his father. There is so much unknown about them their names, their pasts, who are they? where were they born, do they exist? This book is simply miraculous and I cant wait to finish it.
In these pages the character changes are becoming very clear. The boy is now very mature compared to the beginning of the book; having seen dead corpses, cannibles, a man get shot, their cart stolen, and the sickness of his father. This may be foreshadowing that he may have to be on his own in the future.
His father is sick and there is a strong possibility of him dying. So is the boy mature enough and smart enough to be on his own? I think he is. The boy now doesn't mind confronting "the bad guys" and when they are staying in the house the boy is not afraid to argue with his father, that their could be people in the house because the wind blows the ash around.
I agree with Alli, when they finally reach the ocean it is very anti-climatic. They have made it to where they have been traveling to for the entire book and there is no magical solution, kind of like life. It was entertaining to see the boy's reaction to the ocean, how he immedeatly wanted to go swimming even though it was very cold. We take for granted all these simple joys, like the ocean.
Also, I agree this chapter really showcases the use of Pathos. We hardly know anything about these two characters, yet everyone reading can relate to them in someway. Drawing towards the end of the book, I feel like I have a connection with them both and I'm sad their story is about to end.
In week 5 there was a lot of "growing up". The boy took on more responsibility and proved himself as a young man. He was kind of forced into the situation because his father has been getting ill and has been slowly loosing it. The father and son finally reached the sea which must have been an emotional experience. I am quite happy to be ending the novel with in the next week.
In the beginning of the chapter, I think the boy's dream shows how scared of the future he really is. By not telling his father what the dream was about, I think it shows that he finally realizes that there's nothing the father can do to help their situation. Also, I think his dream foreshadows something in the future like the father will die & the boy will have to survive on his own. That thought scares the boy, but I think he's thinking more into the dream in order to prepare himself for what he sees coming in the future. The father also shows that he resents the fact that his son is reading too much into his dreams and nightmares because he can tell that his son is starting to believe the things he dreams about. When they finally arrive to the coast, it did not make their situation any better. Finding the abandon boat, I think, just made them realize that if nobody survived on the coast, there must not be anything else out there for them. It only made them lose more hope because they saw that even the coast was like everything else they had passed on their journey to get there. Passing through the many miles of dead bodies and deserted towns must have been a very tragic experience for the young boy. I don't understand how someone can live through what they have and still be completely normal. I know for a fact that if anyone I know experienced something like that, they would for sure go crazy. That shows a very high sense of maturity in the boy. Even the father was expecting his son to show some sort of emotion towards all the dead bodies they were passing but when he told him not to look, the boy acted as though it were no big deal to him because he knew they would still be there and he was not at all bothered. Overall, I think this chapter started off very disturbing and scary but as it went on, it faded more into a happier, lighter mood. I'm very anxious to find out what happens in the end of the book & whether or not they actually find some hope to grasp onto.
25 comments:
In this chapter we have seen a lot of changes in the characters. The first change i saw was the man showed us his weakness. When the man got sick he made them stay in one spot. Also the man started to have more flash backs about the way life used to be. I think this is important because he told the boy that you know you have given up when you dream about the way the world used to be.
Next we can see the boy maturing. When the man ask the boy if he wants to eat the cans of food the boy has to help make the decision. Normally the man makes all the decision. I think the dad knows something is going to happen to him and he wants to prepare the boy so he can survive on his own,
The boy cries when he gets out of the ocean. I think this is the first time we see the boy not cry out of fear but for no reason or some reason we don't know. Previously the boy has cried out of fear or a bad dream, but now we don't know why he is crying. Does any one have any guess as to why the boy was crying?
And my last questions are What is in the Boat? DO you think there are people? And do you think there are fish still in the ocean or have they all died out?
So now they're walking and seeing the looted and burned cities. Everything's covered in black powder. They were 50 miles off track. They sleep on some cardboard boxes and it rains all nite. Then they find a drugstore with a person's head on the counter. If they want, it's theirs for free. The dad tells the kid there really are more good guys like them out there. They run into three other sad lookin' guys. This book is really depressing.
A thousand burning snakes - was that a dream? This book is about hanging on to every last hope, cuz he seems like there is none. But what for? They had to walk past all the dead burned bodes looking like Halloween mummies. People are following them. Their food is almost gone. They see the smoke and ... isn't that great. A nice little BBQ baby. This book is REALLY sick.
They're starving now because the food is gone. There's another boring house to check out. So they make a beautiful roaring fire in the fireplace to cook up some stewed poisoned tomatoes. Yummmm...with potatoes and beans. They get to eat on China like they're at the Ritz. So they moved in cuz it was soooo nice there. And guess what? It rains again. Their whole life is starving and smelling and pouring rain.
They had to walk forever to get to the beach. Just like Malibu, right? How'd you like to surf in gray soup? They wait for what? Who's going to come to save them? The dad checks out this really cool boat. So where are they going to sail to I wonder?
These two guys really love each other a lot. That's the moral of the story - hanging out beyond the point of hope because the human spirit just wills us on another and another and another moment.
The author's use of Pathos is quite amazing. Anyone can relate to an event or one of the characters. It was such a let down that there was nothing at the sea except for what they have seen this whole time, death and ash. When the boy ran into the water, it reminded me of when I first went into the ocean. I wonder if they will just stay at the sea? I think they will keep moving because I believe that the father and son still have hope.
I agree with stanislov, the Pathos in this novel is incredible. He takes two characters that don't even have confirmed names, and yet, McCarthy makes you feel the sorrow, despair, and fear the man and his son feel. I personally hope my writing and drawings are able to evoke this kind of raw emotion in the future.
What I found most emotional in this section was when the two stumble upon a dead, roasted infant over the fire. I was shocked and mortified by it and found it a bit hard to read on afterwards. But despite that, I have to give it to McCarthy for having the...errhm...”cajones" to go that far to really evoke the emotions of the reader to that imagery. I have to wonder where that baby came from. Was the mother the pregnant woman the man and his son saw crossing the bridge with the three men earlier in the section?
Throughout the chapter the man's health is steadily deteriorating and it's becoming harder and harder for him to wake up. At the end of the section, the two finally make it to the coast, although it's not the beautiful dream it once was in the man's memories. The waters are grey, devoid of life, and smells of iodine.
This book has been an exciting ride and I'm sad to see it ending soon. But now that the boy and his father have reached their destination at last what lays in store for them now? Now that the book is drawing to a close how will McCarthy wrap up his exciting novel? And one final question, what do the boy and the father mean when they said "because we're the ones holding the fire."? Are they holding some kind of hope for all humanity? Or are they just speaking about their oil they use for fires.
In pages 181-224, I believe that the boy is maturing. He conveys it as he passes abandoned possessions of travelers and a mile ahead he sees the decaying corpses of the travelers. Even though, the father questions what you put in your head is there forever and his son responds that it’s okay. The father then tells his son to not look, but the boy says they’ll still be there and why don’t we just go on. In the end, the dad agrees with his son. I can see where the dad is coming from, because he doesn’t want his son to observe the barbaric acts of the “bad guys.”
Furthermore, they enter a town with three anonymous men. For protection, the father withdraws the pistol and aims it at the unknown man and gradually the son and dad leave without any dilemma. The father and son notice a fire. They assume it’s the fire from the three men they came across earlier. What they see is absolutely horrifying, a charred infants head. This novel isn’t only sickening but unpleasant only because of Cormac McCarthy’s illustrative writing. There were also four people behind them and one being a pregnant woman. Who were they? Were they “good” or “bad?” Eventually they pass the bridge and disappear into the darkness.
As they are living in some house for a few days, the man believes that they’re no people in the house, because there are no tracks in the ash and no furniture burned in the fireplace. The boy says there could be people in here, because the wind blows the tracks away. Contradicting to what his father had said earlier. Kind of what teenagers do to their parents.
The man and son still have hope, because the man says your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that will be and you are happy again then you will have given up. And you can’t give up I wont let you. I’m very content that the father said this to his son, because I wish for the son to increase his hope as well.
As I also agree with Stanislov, this chapter portrays some pathos. Pathos by how you can imagine and feel the emotions of what is happening to the father and his son. In addition, pathos forms images relating to your past experiences to the hardships of the father and son.
In the beginning of pages 181-224, the boy has a dream where the father does not wake up.I think this is foreshadowing that the father will get sick. A frightening man held a pistol to the boys head and took their cart. Luckily, no one was injured. Later the father came down with a fever and the boy was terrified." Are you going to die?" he said. This to me was a very relatable scenario and I felt deep sorrow for the boy.
As they continue walking the road they get the feeling that someone is following them. They decide to hide and little did they know, three men and a pregnant woman were behind them. A disturbing thing that was mentioned was the infants chopped off head. It was so raw and bluntly written that it was difficult for me to read without being shocked.
I was pleasantly surprised that they found another house to stay in, although this time the food was not as good. But when you're in their situation you'll pretty much eat anything to survive.When it was raining the father put buckets under the holes of the ceiling to catch fresh water. It was their only source of water, so they took all that they could get, no matter the situation.
"He looked at the boy. He could see the disappointment in his face.I'm sorry it's not blue, he said. That's okay, said the boy" (215).It was depressing to read that the ocean was not blue. I think that this is something that everyone can relate to because everyone in this class has seen the ocean so they don't have to imagine it, it's real, and to have the ocean be black with ashes is a sickening thought. The boy wanted to swim so he took off his clothes and swam naked. The author descriptively described the boy. I could really get a sense of how skinny he actually was. They both see a boat and the father swims out to look at it. The boy wants to come but the father does not allow him to because he wants him to be on the lookout for others.
The boy is definitely maturing. You can tell by his actions and speech. He is showing more concern about his father, as expressed through his dream. He makes more decisions, he looks our for his father, and he is beginning to know what is best for them. He is learning that surviving is more important than doing the right thing. I believe he senses his father weakening, which foreshadows the man's death. The father shows signs of weakness through coughing, stopping, and dreaming about the way life used to be. It is as if he is stuck in the past, or given up on the future. I feel as though the only thing keeping him alive is the boy; if he knew the boy could survive on his own, he would have given up entirely and succumb to his illness.
I think we will find out about the boy's mysterious behaviors in the next chapters. I do not know why he cried after coming out of the ocean, but I imagine it had something to do with his father and accepting the situation that he will have to fend for himself soon. This same idea could very well be linked to the boys nightmares, especially of the ones he refuses to tell his father.
The boy is showing new strength and courage, another trait developed out of independence. This further foreshadows his fathers death in the future; he will have to be strong and fend for himself. I believe his bravery is expressed when he walked among the burnt bodies and saw the burnt infant without breaking down as he did earlier in the book.
It seems as though the father and son have switched places: the father used to care for the son fully and look to protect him, but now the son has begun looking out for his father. The father still continues to help his son, but it is his son that encourages him to go on, drink more water, eat more food. This could be a simple act of love or it could be a deeper one of concern.
Despite the boys rising maturity, he still has moments when he reverts back to his stubborn boyishness. For example, when he is hesitant to go to the farm house because he is scared. I believe the author is doing this to show that he is not ready to be on his own yet. He is not fully mature.
They made it to the sea a lot faster than I thought they would. It was anticlimactic, and almost depressing. They have been walking on the road for such a long time, and then they finally reach it and it's a let down. All that is there is the same thing they've been seeing the entire time, dust, ash and the occasional reminder that they are alone yet always surrounded by death.
My prediction is that the father and the boy will continue to keep moving. They are so used to moving and constantly walking that I don't think they'd be able to stay in one place. Especially because they will eventually run out of food.
I'm surprised at how the boy is maturing. The boy is thinking critically, like the father, although he still leaves out things when he thinks. He has learned to accept everything his father tells him, because he realizes that his father's advice is all he has. He is still cautious about exploring houses and other places, but why wouldn't he be? He has seen some pretty horrible things, he has the right to be scared. Also, the father's condition is getting worse. He got a fever and he's coughing more. Hopefully the boy's maturation will continue in case something ever happens to the father.
It was terrible how that group of 3 men and the pregnant woman ate the infant, especially considering the father saw it while it was in the womb, so he knew where it came from.
The arrival at the beach wasn't very exciting, I actually had to read it over again to realize where they were after the father said, "I'm sorry it's not blue." The poor boy wanted to swim in the ocean so badly that he was willing to risk his health to do so. But, I guess that is the the kind of world they live in. Where will they go after the beach? Is this as far south as they intended to go, or will they continue, and face their toughest challenges yet? I'm very interested to find out.
In this next section of reading, the author illustrates the world the father used to live in compared to the despair that is growing in the present. I like how the author uses pilgrim on page 181 to describe a person traveling on the road. The author sows how much the world has changed when the father says, " The sea?" I don’t know. It used to be." This means that before all the pain and suffering the world was different. The son also tells his father about a dream where the father would not wake up. I think this is foreshadowing some event that might come up. Also the father and son are talking about the truth. The father asks the son if he believes in the father. The son responds by saying he has too. It shows a deeper connection between the father and son because the son was born in this dangerous world so his father is like the only light that guides him in the dark land. The snakes confused me. Is it to represent the pain the father suffers because the snakes cannot scream when they are feeling immense pain. It was quite a depressing scene when they were talking about the dead bodies. Another scene that made me disgusted was the dead baby. Is it the same baby that came from the pregnant lady that the father had seen before? If it were then that would be horribly disgusting. The father was accepting that hope is slightly becoming less possible and death is approaching them. The father says, " He knew that he was placing hopes where he'd no reason to. He hoped it would get brighter where for all he knew the world grew darker daily." It was saddening that the ocean was polluted and destroyed but the author put this there to show that the hope the father and son was looking for was destroyed.
In this part, it is able to notice that the son has matured more as he progresses through the book while the father is steadily declining. The father is slowly getting worse coughs while the son is starting to whine less. The son can make decisions for himself now and the father does not have to control the son.
We have learned about Ethos, Pagos, and Logos. Ethos is shown because of the sticker that shows that he has won the Pulitzer Award that makes this book verifiable as a good book. With Pagos the author takes a stand on using the negative side to entrance the readers. His change in language compared to other authors is one reason for his power to attract people.
This situation where the people starve and have to fight to survive everyday is very brutal. I would not be able to survive in a world where men eat their own children and people steal and kill others for food. The author does a good job in showing the fear of the father against these kinds of people. The author also shows when the three people were trying to rob the father. This style of dog eat dog world is very different than our society of dog eat dog. It is the same but the author has taken it to a new extreme. The corrupt human nature causes such destruction.
I do not believe I can surpass the epicness of Joe Chi's post. I could not agree more with what he wrote. The boy is maturing very quickly. I am worried about the father's health. I cannot believe that the 3 men and the pregnant woman ate the infant. The book is getting very interesting.
I think this chapter was extremely emotional. It was very hard to read some of these scenes. When they found the cooked baby, there was a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach. The author shows that the boy is still somewhat naive because he always assumes someone is good until they prove that they are bad.
I find it sad that it seems that the adult is slowly starting to give up on himself, but I find it very comforting that he is holding on for his son. When they get to what is likely Mexico, as they did find a Spanish coin in the ground, they get to a beach and find a boat. I hope that once they're out there they will find that some fish. However, that is sadly unlikely. I can relate with feeling hopeless before in a Pathotic way, but my situation was much brighter then the one they are in. I think the son might make it, but I am starting to be not so sure abut the father.
This book has to be one of my favorite books ever. I never really like reading “english books” but this one I am in aww! And it keeps me on the edge of my sit while reading. The author uses pathos to help his readers feel what the characters feel. The boy is still maturing and becoming into a young man at such a young age. He shows his sense of maturity through what he does and how he presents himself. The father is deteriorating day by day with his sickness but the boy makes sure that he is still eating, resting, and drinking water. I believe that this is another way he is maturing because he is taking on the role of being a father to his own father. I believe that this is showing a sign of independence because he is making decisions without approval and trying to do what is best for his father and himself. They are beginning to run out of food so will they soon starve? Then they come across a fire and see a young child’s head. What I don’t understand is why the boy does not have an emotional effect like he did when he saw the ocean? Normal people would go crazy if they saw a chopped off head but be rather excited to see the ocean. The ocean is a peaceful place but in the story it is full of ash and smoke. It amazes me how people still have hope after going through several hard times. I can relate because I have gone through more than anyone would ever expect but I have come to realization that the only way to get through any obstacle is to be strong and to always have hope. With hope and with people around you that are supportive you can get through anything and learn life long lessons that will be significant later on.
I have noticed a theme in the way the man and his son communicate. The boy always seems to repeat the same thing the father previously says. It used to annoy me, but I have realized that this is one of McCarthy’s ways of showing that the son is dependent on the father and doesn’t think for himself. I don’t know if I overlooked it when reading, but why was the boy crying when he got out of the water? This may sound outrages but what if he stepped on something and it gets infected and something happens to the boy. Anyway, as we near the end of the book, I can’t help but think it will not be a happy ending. McCarthy has shown no sign of hope for the man and boy and I don’t see it happening later. My prediction is that the book will end with them walking down the road just as the book had started.
In this part of the book they finally made it to the sea, although it wasn't exactly how I pictured them getting there and it was quicker than I thought, there was still a sense of relief and accomplishment. They achieved their goal at last and we just want to enjoy this moment and not think about doing what next. That is why I think the boy is crying. Although since there isn't much there I would assume that they will still travel on the road. I also found that the boy is maturing. He is drifting away. Not drifting away with his father but drifting away from being an innocent child. He doesn't ask as many questions and he also understands why his father is making the decisions that he does. He does remain close with his father like when he calls out for him at the beach but he doesn't hear him. The boy is just growing up like everybody does. There are so many ways that this book could end which makes it interesting. I just hope that McCarthy doesn't make the ending too depressing.
In this chapter if you could even call it that. Cormac McCarthy really gets rolling, at least thats how it seems for me. The beginning of the book was very captivating yet I was able to put the book down for a few days at a time and not really think about reading it. Although the further I got the more i was drawn in. This book is simply a master piece. The child and the father have a much established relationship as they both rely so much on each-other for survival. In a way the boy and the father are serving there purpose in life as devoted human beings to surviving through the cold howling nights. McCarthy depicts this ash ridden, murderous, devouring, black, heap of a civilization.. planet in a much more detailed manner. I feel I am in the book riding shotgun with the Boy and his father. There is so much unknown about them their names, their pasts, who are they? where were they born, do they exist? This book is simply miraculous and I cant wait to finish it.
In these pages the character changes are becoming very clear. The boy is now very mature compared to the beginning of the book; having seen dead corpses, cannibles, a man get shot, their cart stolen, and the sickness of his father. This may be foreshadowing that he may have to be on his own in the future.
His father is sick and there is a strong possibility of him dying. So is the boy mature enough and smart enough to be on his own? I think he is. The boy now doesn't mind confronting "the bad guys" and when they are staying in the house the boy is not afraid to argue with his father, that their could be people in the house because the wind blows the ash around.
I agree with Alli, when they finally reach the ocean it is very anti-climatic. They have made it to where they have been traveling to for the entire book and there is no magical solution, kind of like life. It was entertaining to see the boy's reaction to the ocean, how he immedeatly wanted to go swimming even though it was very cold. We take for granted all these simple joys, like the ocean.
Also, I agree this chapter really showcases the use of Pathos. We hardly know anything about these two characters, yet everyone reading can relate to them in someway. Drawing towards the end of the book, I feel like I have a connection with them both and I'm sad their story is about to end.
In week 5 there was a lot of "growing up". The boy took on more responsibility and proved himself as a young man. He was kind of forced into the situation because his father has been getting ill and has been slowly loosing it. The father and son finally reached the sea which must have been an emotional experience. I am quite happy to be ending the novel with in the next week.
In the beginning of the chapter, I think the boy's dream shows how scared of the future he really is. By not telling his father what the dream was about, I think it shows that he finally realizes that there's nothing the father can do to help their situation. Also, I think his dream foreshadows something in the future like the father will die & the boy will have to survive on his own. That thought scares the boy, but I think he's thinking more into the dream in order to prepare himself for what he sees coming in the future. The father also shows that he resents the fact that his son is reading too much into his dreams and nightmares because he can tell that his son is starting to believe the things he dreams about. When they finally arrive to the coast, it did not make their situation any better. Finding the abandon boat, I think, just made them realize that if nobody survived on the coast, there must not be anything else out there for them. It only made them lose more hope because they saw that even the coast was like everything else they had passed on their journey to get there. Passing through the many miles of dead bodies and deserted towns must have been a very tragic experience for the young boy. I don't understand how someone can live through what they have and still be completely normal. I know for a fact that if anyone I know experienced something like that, they would for sure go crazy. That shows a very high sense of maturity in the boy. Even the father was expecting his son to show some sort of emotion towards all the dead bodies they were passing but when he told him not to look, the boy acted as though it were no big deal to him because he knew they would still be there and he was not at all bothered.
Overall, I think this chapter started off very disturbing and scary but as it went on, it faded more into a happier, lighter mood. I'm very anxious to find out what happens in the end of the book & whether or not they actually find some hope to grasp onto.
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