Unpacking

Hey everyone, welcome back to the fifth and final blog post. Time has flown by! For the last couple of weeks, I have been analyzing The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Throughout this journey, I dove deep into McCarthy’s style, contemplated the struggle between good and evil, analyzed each character, and reviewed the ending of the novel. In this post, I am going to explain why The Road should be in the AP curriculum as well as share my final thoughts on the novel. So grab your pen and paper and get ready to take some notes!

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Before this journey started, I had to find a novel of literary merit to read and analyze. Unfortunately, most novels of literary merit tend to bore me. When I found The Road, I was a bit skeptical at first. Although the plot sounded super interesting, I tend not to enjoy the style of writing we read in class. However, McCarthy’s writing style is extremely unique, distancing itself from other novels I have read. His unique style and the passionate relationship between the man and the boy propel this novel into literary merit. Some may be wondering what literary merit is. According to the college board, literary merit can be defined by the following four characteristics: does not merely conform to the expectations of a single genre or formula, has been judged to have artistic quality by the literary community (teachers, students, librarians, critics, other writers, the reading public), shows thematic depth, and the themes merit revisiting and study because they are complex and demonstrate innovation in style, voice, structure, characterization, plot and/or description (“Engaging Students with Literature.”). There are ten characteristics on the college board website, but I felt that these were the four most important aspects. 

In terms of the first criteria, The Road extends the boundary of its genre. Many speculate what genre The Road belongs in. Horror, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic are just a few of the genres the novel could identify under. Its inability to conform to one particular genre showcases its distinct uniqueness. For example, while the father and son’s journey is punctuated by jarring moments of threat and grotesque – a cellar filled with chained, half-dead people being kept as livestock, the corpse of a baby roasting on a spit – it is not enough to call the novel horror as McCarthy’s intent is not to scare us. The main focus of the novel is the relationship between the man and the boy, the horror comes through their determination to survive and stay noble. The aspects of horror add to the realism of the novel. The simplicity of their journey creates a sense of life in a world where life is dead, further increasing the realism and the horror. Above all else, the genre of The Road is more than the box we place it in. 

The last few aspects of literary merit talk about thematic depth. McCarthy has definitely written a novel that has thematic depth. Most post-apocalyptic novels are centered around plot. However, McCarty centers his novel around the relationship between the man and the boy and their will to live nobly. Their determination to "carry the fire" encompasses their journey along the road. Moreover, it overshadows the central plot of the novel. McCarthy's writing has allowed the reader to focus on the style and theme rather than their physical movement. For instance, my attention was more focused on their conversation and analyzing the meaning behind each word than their actual journey. This is because McCarthy draws you into the characters through his limited diction. By limiting his vocabulary, he emphasizes every aspect of the novel, not just the plot. The thematic depth of this novel is one of the major reasons why it is AP worthy. 

Now that I have expressed why the novel should be part of an AP class, I am now going to share my final thoughts. I have touched upon my thoughts in each post, but I haven’t dived deep into them. I can honestly say that I love this novel! More times than not, I dislike the novels I read for school. This novel is one of the first novels for school that I have truly enjoyed. Each week I was excited to continue the journey and fearful for the lives of the characters. Often, I found myself anxiously turning the pages overcome with emotion. You know a novel is good when it doesn’t feel like a chore but a hobby. 

My favorite aspect of the novel is the relation between moral and evil. The complex way McCarthy creates a “gray area” as opposed to right vs. wrong enhances the character’s values and society’s standstill. It's hard to have a sense of morality in a world where laws are nonexistent. The people in it are only trying to survive to the best of their capabilities. Right and wrong are no longer rules that govern its people. It's all about the view of the individual and their will to live. The divide between the man and boy from the rest of society creates a unique comparison of ethical and unethical. Depending on your willingness to survive you could be on either side. I loved thinking about how I would react in this world. Would I try everything possible to survive, or would I live morally? I honestly do not know what I am capable of (definitely not cannibalism tho)! 

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I would like to thank everyone who read my posts over the last few weeks. I hope each of you enjoyed my analysis of The Road. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking to spice up their reading. However, I would suggest not reading this novel at night, it can be very graphic at some points! Anyway, peace out. 

-Elizabeth

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Vintage Books, 2006.

“Engaging Students with Literature.” Collegeboard , 2010, secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/AP_CM_Eng_Lit_differential_instruction.pdf.

The FInal Destination

Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I hope everyone has enjoyed the last couple of weeks. Over the course of my mini-vacation, I had the chance to finish The Road, all 241 pages. And I must say, I am emotionally distraught. Throughout this post, I will share my thoughts on the ending of the novel as well as the meaning of the work as a whole. So grab your tissues, this post is about to get very emotional. 

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Going into the fourth and final section of The Road has left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am excited to read the end of their journey. However, on the other hand, I fear for the lives of the characters. And I had a right to fear as (spoiler alert) the man finally succumbs to death. His death scene leaves me feeling heartbroken. I could almost feel the pain the man and boy experience in this scene. As I mentioned in early posts, the characters heavily depend on each other. Without the other, they have nothing worth living for. Instead, they would simply be surviving day-to-day. When the man dies the boy

“...[sits] there a long time weeping and then he [gets] up and [walks] out through the woods to the road. When he [comes] back he [kneels] besides his father and [holds] his cold hand and [says] his name over and over again” (236).

This scene is so emotional despite the lack of depth the passage has. As the boy holds his father’s hand, he repeats his name desperately trying to hold onto that last connection. Without his name (a name given to him by his father) he has nothing left of him. The physical objects they pick up along the way mean nothing to the boy. His name is the last tie he has to his father. Repeating it, allows the boy to feel closer to him. It's interesting how McCarthy even in the final section of the novel keeps the names of the man and boy a secret. By not naming his characters, McCarthy creates flat, nobody protagonists that ultimately have an extraordinary relationship.

The strength of their relationship is seen leading up to the man’s death. For instance, the man pleads,

“You need to keep going. You don’t know what might be down the road. We were always lucky. You’ll be lucky again. You’ll see. Just go. It’s all right” (234).

The man pushes himself throughout the whole novel to reach a warmer climate to give his son a fighting chance. The man knows he is going to die soon. Despite his predicament, he pushes himself to the limit all for the sake of his son. When his strength fails, the power of their relationship is showcased as he continues to push his son towards life despite his desire for him to be close. When the boy tries to argue against the man, he says

“You cant. You have to carry the fire” (234).

As mentioned briefly in a previous post, this idea of “carrying the fire” translates into their determination to remain good and never give up. The man wants to give the boy hope and a goal to motivate him forward. Without the goal of carrying the fire, the boy has little motivation to leave his father and continue in this bleak world. The will to live nobly is ultimately what has gotten the man and boy this far. The man hopes it will continue to guide the boy along the road. Which it does, as in the last few pages the boy encounters a group of humans who also “carry the fire.” And thus starts the next phase of the boy’s journey. 

As the novel ends, so does their journey to the ocean. As mentioned throughout the first third of the story, the man and boy’s final destination is to reach the coast. The coast is seen as this symbol of hope. It is portrayed as this all-mighty thing, that has the potential to ease some of their problems. However, upon arriving at the coast, their hope is squashed the moment they realize the ocean is the same bleak, gray mess as the rest of the world. Sitting in the sand they gaze upon the “Cold. Desolate. Birdless” (182) ocean with growing despair as their final hope for life is a disappointment. In a way, the coast is the end of their journey. As their journey comes to an end, so does the strength of the man. His goal of reaching the coast is now complete leaving him weak with resolve. While the man’s journey comes to a close, the boy’s journey along the road enters a new chapter. 

After finishing The Road, I can confidently say that this is my favorite novel I have had to read for school. The story moved me in a way that many novels fail to do. I usually get bored reading a story chosen from class. However, it is nearly impossible to get bored while reading this novel. The character's grim determination for survival and their unique relationship creates a plot so enticing and rich that the word boring was erased from my mind. The love the man and boy share, bleed across the pages despite the limited vocabulary. Their need to remain moral in a bleak sinful world is critical in their relationship. It creates a powerful bond unique only to the man and boy as they strive for something many deem useless. Although their journey comes to a close, the love they have for one another will travel past the limits of the road.

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 Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my final review of the road!