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!