Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” Essay

A novel entitled The passageway sparks the cipher of a journey, not necessarily sensation concerning movement, notwithstanding an experience, where by the time you pass the destination you dumbfound either witnessed some subject or come-by certain things which may come across you as a person, alterationd the delegacy you think or possibly had an egress on your personal ethics. For example, a mental journey, whereby somebody lives through a certain period in their heart and comes out the other bar with a new perspective and attitude, like in J.D. Salingers The backstop in the Rye. Another eccentric of journey is an actual physiological one from A to B at the destination in this type of journey one may feel a sense of action and arrive at B with scores of anecdotes and stories that can range from bittie events that make a good joke to events which may actually change you as a person.Writing about journeys like these is a musical style of writing in its own right Trav el Writing, an example be John Steinbecks Travels with Charley. The third type of journey that I associate degree with the phrase The Road is the purpose of beingness on an assailable path, solely going with no particular interest in where you may arrive, exactly the journey itself has its importance. This may solely be on a liking or yearning for open road or maybe because of a destiny to travel, to not stop and just keep going and possibly to involve away from something, an example of this is the film Thelma and Louise.This is a key image in American Culture, not lonesome(prenominal) featured in some(prenominal) novels and films but important simply because it represents a exemption to be who you emergency to be. The open road offers new horizons and the prospect to witness new and unhoped things. This idea represents the liberty and freedom found in AmericaThe way in which the protagonists travel in The Road is not the picture perfect, open road, free spirited adve nture, they r atomic number 18ly travel on the actual road, to distract being seen by others who may unavoidableness their belongings and food. This was not a safe place. They could be seen from the road. The iconic concept of the open-ness and the freedom associated with it is no longer present in Cormac McCarthys America. The idea of the road being such a dangerous and deadly place and the paranoia of the soldiery is installed heavily in the readers head by the fourth page, when it discusses the shopping trolley the piece of music has in which he carries all his possessions, food, blankets and tarpaulin. On the handlebars of the trolley the humankind clamped a chrome motorcycle mirror that he used to watch the road behind him which shows that whoever is go away in his world isnt to be trust and its a fend for yourself environment with none of the trust and neighbourliness that America is famous for.In the post-apocalyptic world portrayed in The Road we see an utter take outdown in the sense of community and the jockey thy neighbour ethic for which America is renowned. In the book, the few mint the man and boor come across are treated with utter care or are avoided altogether and hatful who need help are ignored. An example of this would be when they come across the man who has been hit by lightning and they dont help him. The son cries for his bewilder to help the man, but he bluntly refuses and does nada. This is an accurate account of how some lot may react in straight offs world where help may not be given to the man by some people so as not involve themselves, but the good thing to do would, of course, be to seek medical help.Traditional American set would instruct that one do the good thing and aid the lightning potty man. Another good example of the lack of common ethics is when the eerie robs all their belongings and they run after him and not only get it back, but also take e genuinely(prenominal)(prenominal)thing he has on h im, including his clothes. The fact that the man and robber are prepared to leave the other to die of the snappy and starvation, represents how McCarthys world has changed human nature and the love thy neighbour and do unto others only what you would want through to yourself ethics are left cut and one cares for no-one but themselves..Im starving, man. Youd gravel done the same.You took everything.Come on man. Ill die.This proves my point that the people left ordain do anything to survive even if that worsens the chances of another individual.For me, the theme that is present end-to-end the book and had me contrasting McCarthys world to forthwiths is the kind between the father and son. The young child is, of course, dependent on his father for food, guidance and moral support like closely children are today and this image is strong in America with the concept of a nuclear, nutritious family being very important. In the book, whilst the sense of community may have collapse d, the father-son human relationship is very strong they care for separately other, keep each other company and the father brings the child up as trump out he can, but in Cormac McCarthys world nothing is left quite the same. What unsettled me was how freely the child spoke about their likely impending death and themes of a similar nature. The situation in which this child has been reared has left him matured beyond his years, an example showing this being when he asks his dad,You think we are going to die dont you?Were not going to die.Okay.The child is so unfazed by the topic and it feigns me as odd and proves how even something as simple as the carefree thoughts of a child have been distorted by the world and lifestyle of the people within the America McCarthy depicts.Within the story there are cardinal scenes that are stuck in my mind because of their vividness and brutality. Firstly, when the father and son break into a house and find dismembered, burnt people locked in t he basement, a man with his legs bypast to the hip. These people are being held very much like poorly treated animals or cattle, probably to be eaten, because the people are so desperate for food they have resorted to what is one of the most taboo and strictly forbidden act in most societies, cannibalism. Also the setting of their incarceration is chilling and something only thought of in nightmares. Secondly, when the father and son come across the pamper gutted and placed on the spit roast in preparation for a meal. America prides itself on the fact that its a free country.This phrase is thrown and twisted around a lot but it basically means that people there have a freedom to say and do what they want as long as it doesnt break the law. The people locked in the cellar certainly arent free and them being held captive shows how thoroughgoing people may have become out of starvation and despondency to survive disregarding their previously strong believe in freedom and equality. This is also interesting because it wouldnt be the first time thraldom has been an issue in America.After the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which was passed in 1865, thraldom was made illegal in America and equality reigns. The change was legitimate after years of fighting and now America sees itself as a fair nation with racism and the plight of the mysterious man as less of an issue, a good example being that the first black American President is going to be inaugurated January 20th of the coming year. Cormac McCarthys book portrays this ethic of us all being of the same train of importance being readily ignored by those in need to feed themselves and survive.In the news we a lot hear about anti- abortion lobbyists and pro-life rallies, especially in America. In Cormac McCarthys book the protagonists see a group of people travelling with impregnated women and then the man and son go through the abandoned camp of these people and find a gutted baby on the spit -roast. If you put the two together the idea may strike you that women are being impregnated for the sole purpose of the meat theyll produce. In todays world this would be considered ungodly and unmentionable and not only brings up the topic of cannibalism but also the controversial theme of abortion which is utterly ignored in McCarthys world and the fact that it has gone beyond mere cannibalism but the actual production of babies for meat shows the stark(a) desperation of some to survive and the ethical issue which is so very important today, ignored.In the scene the author refers to the baby itself very impersonally, as if its a piece of meat and nothing more. The author describes it as a human sister, headless, gutless and blackening on the spit, very brief and to the point much like one may have described it were it a common farm animal. If it werent for the human infant part it may well have been anything, the author does little to alter the creature on the spit-roast. I th ink this may be simply to shield the reader and avoid the text being too verbalised but also to show how this is largely commonplace in McCarthys world and that whilst shocking to the more good-willed protagonists, for some it is merely a caseful of survival.America is often referred to as the land of plenty, with its almost endless resources, especially of food. The poignant scene in which the father finds what could possibly be the brook coke can on earth shows just how much has changed in McCarthys world and introduces the notion of how we take too much for granted. In the scene with the coke can the author describes drinks machinestilted on the floor, clear with pry bars.This shows the desperation of mankind for such objects like coca plant Cola, which are integral to lifestyles in modern society and inexplicable to those who havent witnessed it. People now never think such omnipresent items will run out. What makes the scene sadder is the fact that this iconic can which p resent is seen in many pieces of pop-artwork, has hundreds if not thousands of adverts worldwide and is truly a universally recognized brand, isnt recognized by the child, showing how in McCarthys world this idea of a constant, ready supply of everything is simply no longer the case, especially with food.Throughout the book, punctuation is hardly used with no speech marks and few commas and the father and son arent, at any point, referred to by name. I believe that this is to further the image that Cormac McCarthy is portraying transport the fact that the breakdown of society and nature is such that things like punctuation and the names of the characters, no longer are of any importance as there are more important things, survival for instance and by dropping things like the names it leaves the reader to focus more upon the father-son relationship and less on the more trivial details.The American Dream is the concept of everybody reaching his or her full potential and having the a bility to fulfil their patrol wagon desire, in the land of opportunity that America is famous for. People often immigrate to America to start a business or occupational group in either the music industry or maybe acting. In the book rather than going to America in the hope of having it all, money, glamour, the tonic life, people are trying to leave because they have nothing.It shows how different this gross(a) world his and how everything has turned on its head. The phrase itself, American Dream was coined by James Truslow Adams in his book, published in 1931, called The Epic of America in the book his definition for it is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone but in McCarthys world, for anyone hold out there is nothing left of the original values of America, the living are in some cases, hunted for food, their freedom compromised for fear and ultimately nothing remains as it was.