Close Analysis of the Road

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A close, critical analysis of a section of their chosen text of about 3 pages. Cormac McCarthy tells the tale of a father and a son in an aftermath apocalyptic event. Their surroundings are dangerous and hazards to their lifestyle as the remaining people of the old world have turned to cannibalism and the world is barren of all vegetation, in order to satisfy their desperate needs. McCarthy creates the worst possible world using specific techniques. The main theme, in the first 3 pages of the novel is the father and son relationship in a world which does not seem fit for a man and his son. From the very first page of The Road, McCarthy's distinct writing style fits the world he describes; punctuation also plays a main role in achieving this. As we are introduced to the novel , through the first three pages , it can immediately be confirmed that the novel is set in a dangerous setting where the characters of the novel have to be aware at all times to secure their safety and this is implied as “ he” wakes up in the “woods” which shows a rough lifestyle which has been occurring over a certain amount of time because if “he” was able to sleep , he is used to this lifestyle which sends a sense of worry and discomfort to the reader as the novel has already been set up for an apocalyptic world and only the worst can be expected which leaves the reader engaged to the novel. It can also be said that the environment in which “he” is in is a test for the humans in ‘ survival of the fittest’ which indicates that there will be obstacles in which the character will have to face and they are working their way towards it . The novel mentions that the man thought it was ‘October’ but he “wasnt” sure. The reader can only infer that the man and the boy have been in this horrible world for a long time or that they have not but it feels like forever because of the suffering and pain
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