TheRoad

ThematicEvidence

TheRoad
byCormacMcCarthydelvesdeepintomanydifferentthemesthatcanbeseen
eventodayinthepresentdaysocietywelivein.McCarthyembedsthesethemesintothe
readersmindthroughoutthenovel.Themesin
TheRoad
byCormacMcCarthyincludeisolation
andlove.

Anintenseandunforgivingnovel,
TheRoad
prominentlyexpressesthelonelinessone
feelswhendisconnectedfromitsspeciesorotherlivinglife.Afatherandson,bothunnamed
protagonists,findthemselvesfacingabarrenwastelandaftertheapocalypse.Burninghouses,
mutilatedbodies,andthesmellofdeathmakethepostapocalypticsettingrealistic.Fatherand
sonhadagoaltotrekacrossdangerousterraintocomefacetofacewithalargebodyofwater
theocean.Bettertemperateclimatesforthewintermadethisdestinationappealingforthetwo.
Duringtheirjourney,eerieandsilentnightsplaguedtheirsleepingandterrifiedforms.The
blacknesshewoketoonnightswassightlessandimpenetrable.Ablacknesstohurtyoureyes
withlistening.Oftenhehadtogetup.Nosoundbutthewindinthebareandblackened
trees,(McCarthy15).Thisquoteshowstheemptywitchhoursthathauntedthefatherandson
whenthesunsetbelowthehorizon.Noanimalscouldbeheardduringthelonganddangerous
voyage,fortheyhadperishedalongwithhumanlife.Hegotthebinocularsoutofthecartand
stoodintheroadandglassedtheplaindowntherewheretheshapeofacitystoodinthegrayness
likeacharcoaldrawingsketchedacrossthewaste.Nothingtosee.Nosmoke,(McCarthy8).
Thisquotealsoshowsthebarenessanduncaptivatedlandscapethatonceteemedwithhumans

andotheranimalsalike.Somewherealongtheway,thefatherandsonstarttoquestioniftheyare
theonlyonesonearth.Wouldntitbeeasiertojoinalloftheminaworldbetterthanhere?This
feelingofdisconnectionandisolationfromotherlivingbeingsalmostkillsthetwo.Amajor
preventionthathelpedthetwokeeponfightingwasthelovetheyshared.
TheRoad
byCormacMcCarthy,atangibleandrelatablenovel,focuseslargelyonthe
enhancementsofrelationshipswhenanimalsfacetoughandunforgivingenvironments.Father
andson,theprotagonistsinthenovel,arefacingthepostapocalypticworldtogether.Withtheir
livesalwaysonthestringreadytobecutbytheFatesthemselves,thetwohavecometothe
realizationthattheymustrelyandtrustoneanothertopushbacktheevilforcesoftheonce
growingearth.Whattheboyhadseenwasacharredhumaninfantheadlessandguttedand
blackeningonthespit.Hebentandpickeduptheboyandstartedfortheroadwithhim,holding
himclose.Imsorry,hewhispered.Imsorry,(McCarthy198).Thisquoteshowsthecareand
lovethefathershareswiththeson,andalsohowclosethetwoaretooneanother.Throughout
thenovel,bothprotagonistscometotrust,love,andprotecteachothermoreandmore.The
motherhadleftthetwo,unabletowithstandthepressureoftheapocalypse.Thisleftonlythe
fatherandsontofendforthemselves.Analreadycloserelationshipbetweenthetwobecame
evenstrongerasraiders,cannibals,andotherhostileexistencesthreatenedthem.Thedangerous
wastelandhonedthebeautifulbondthetwoalreadysharedinthebeginningofthenovel.The
boywasclingingtohim.Whenthemansteppedbackintotheframeofthewindowtodrawthe
bowagainhefired.Theflarewentrocketinguptowardthewindowinalongwhitearcandthen
theycouldhearthemanscreaming.Hegrabbedtheboyandpushedhimdownanddraggedthe
blanketsoverthetopofhim,(McCarthy263).Thisquoteclearlyshowsthefeelingof

protectivenessthefatherhasforhisson.Italsoshowsthetrustbetweenthemaswell,theboy
hangingontohisfatherbecausehetrustedthatthemanknewwhathewasdoing.Theyare,quite
literally,eachothersworld.
CormacMcCarthysintriguingandinspiringnovel
TheRoad
broughtaboutthemesthat
canbeassociatedwithoursocietyandworldtoday.Theideasofisolationcanberelatedtothose
feelingthatnotasinglepersoncancurethevoidthatremainsimplantedinhisorherheartor
mind.Thesepeoplemaynothavefriendsorfamilythathelpandlovethem.Loveduringtough
timesisalsoanobviousideainthepresentdaysociety.Peoplelearntotrustandloveeachother
moreduringtimesofstrugglefrommoneyissuestofamilyproblems.Thesemajorthemesinthe
novelareprominentstillinourworldtoday.