Wednesday, 21 December 2011
The Road as a symbol
The road symbolically is a journey that you take in order to find peace and the road that you chose to take will decide you fate. In The Road McCarthy illustrates a road as being a means of an emotional and physically journey. However the road isn't described often and if described is implicit. This portrays that a road cannot be described in explicit detail as each path you take is different and the one you decide to take will determine the challenges that you face.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Symbolism in The Road
1)The road or the journey has often been used as a metaphor for life itself - the journey from birth to death. McCarthy explores this idea in the road especially with the man. The man goes on a journey on the road seeking redemption and peace from his past, he learns to let go of his past and to build a relationship again with his son. At the end of the book the man dies this relates to the idea about a journey being a metaphor for life itself as in life its envitable that you will die. The death of the man doesn't come as a shock because its expected due to the conditions they're living in and the subtle hints of weakness in the man.
2)In American Culture the road is an important symbol due to America being a large country crossing the continent symbolically shows a pioneering spirit. America is a country of hope and resilance to chose the right path. In the road the man and the boy follow the right path where the man completes his journey and the boy continues his journey with a nuclear family as protection.There are many roads in America this could represent the many different paths in life you can take but each leads you to a different fate. The bad guys follow the wrong path to cannibilism and inhumanity, where people are seen as food for surival. The boy is the pioneering spirit for the man and himself he takes them on the right path of humanity.
3)In the Greek tale of The Odyssey Ulysses goes on a journey where he encounters many mental and physical tests and trials. This tale is similar to the journey of the man as he encounters physical tests when he is shot and when he starts to feel ill because he has to decide whether to carry on or to give up. Mentally he is tested as he has to let go of the past and allow himself to forgive and forget the past in order to seek redemption. The boy also encounters mental tests as he learns to cope with teh death and destruction of the world whilst still only being a young boy. He has to cope with the death of his father and learn to survive for himself. Both the man and the boy also encounter physical tests in regard to hunger as there are many parts of the book where they have to go hungry due to the lack of food.
4)The journey as a structure for a novel implies a particular kind of pattern. In the road theres ins't a particular pattern however in the scene where the boy is playing with a truck and the follow on from that scene is the arrival of the roadrat implies a pattern that everything good always follows on with something bad. In each event in the novel the boy and the man learn something about life and their humanity. For example when the man leaves his belongings in the road it shows that he has learnt to leave his past behind and move on.
2)In American Culture the road is an important symbol due to America being a large country crossing the continent symbolically shows a pioneering spirit. America is a country of hope and resilance to chose the right path. In the road the man and the boy follow the right path where the man completes his journey and the boy continues his journey with a nuclear family as protection.There are many roads in America this could represent the many different paths in life you can take but each leads you to a different fate. The bad guys follow the wrong path to cannibilism and inhumanity, where people are seen as food for surival. The boy is the pioneering spirit for the man and himself he takes them on the right path of humanity.
3)In the Greek tale of The Odyssey Ulysses goes on a journey where he encounters many mental and physical tests and trials. This tale is similar to the journey of the man as he encounters physical tests when he is shot and when he starts to feel ill because he has to decide whether to carry on or to give up. Mentally he is tested as he has to let go of the past and allow himself to forgive and forget the past in order to seek redemption. The boy also encounters mental tests as he learns to cope with teh death and destruction of the world whilst still only being a young boy. He has to cope with the death of his father and learn to survive for himself. Both the man and the boy also encounter physical tests in regard to hunger as there are many parts of the book where they have to go hungry due to the lack of food.
4)The journey as a structure for a novel implies a particular kind of pattern. In the road theres ins't a particular pattern however in the scene where the boy is playing with a truck and the follow on from that scene is the arrival of the roadrat implies a pattern that everything good always follows on with something bad. In each event in the novel the boy and the man learn something about life and their humanity. For example when the man leaves his belongings in the road it shows that he has learnt to leave his past behind and move on.
Monday, 19 December 2011
My opinion about the ending
I am disappointed by the ending as it still leaves me with unanswered questions about whether the boy is safe and humanity has been restored. Also not knowing the answers make the death of the father seems pointless. In addition the whole journey is futile because you never know whether anything has been resolved. However the ambiguous ending could be a representation on how sometimes in life there's isn't any answers.
Sunday, 20 November 2011
The ending
The end does not leave you content it makes you question what will happen to the boy and whether humanity has really been restored.
The Road Rat questions
McCarthy states that the boy "took his truck from the pack and shaped roads in the ash with a stick". This statement doesn't fit with the rest of the book as this is the first time the boy is presented in a childlike manner through playing with his truck. Also it seems as if this act is insignificant until you reach the part of the road rat and realise that the truck was foreshadowing the arrival of the road rat. The boy then begins to make truck noises which illustrates that he has heard the sound of a truck before and has associated it with his toy truck. This indicates that he's not as oblivious to the world as it may seem. In addition symbolism is used for example when the boy is shaping the roads with a stick it could be used to symbolise the cracks in the road and that every crack highlights the destruction of the world. Furthermore the fact that the innocent of the boys act is foreshadowing the dangerous event of the road rat emphasizes that all the good of the world has disintegrated.
McCarthy description of the men illustrates that they are part of the world and are a group within society. Also they are described as having "hooded heads" this evokes the sense that they're intimidating and powerful. McCarthy then states that they were wearing "canister masks... one in a biohazard suit" this suggests that they are aware of the world’s destruction and that they need to be protection from the world’s toxic fumes. This evokes the sense that the death of the world is the normality to them as they don't show a sense of fear. The biohazard suit is described as being "stained and filthy" this emphasizes that the disintegration of the world clung to the clothes and it almost seems as it’s insignificant to them. The man calls the group of men "them" this suggests that he doesn't think of them as human beings and instead another obstacle for their survival. Furthermore it shows that he sees them as the "bad guys" and doesn't seem surprised by their presence which indicates that he could sense them coming.
McCarthy describes the ship as "lumbering and creaking like a ship" this is a biblical reference to the tale of Noah’s ark as he builds a ship to save the animals from the storm. This ship could also be used to symbolise their journey and that the creaks could represent the cracks of hope and survival left in their journey. However this reference to the tale of Noah’s ark could also be used to suggest irony as Noah used the ship to save the animals whereas the journey of the man and boy is the survival of each other. In addition the word "lumbering" could highlight the monotonous and tiresome journey of the boy and the man.
McCarthy describes the road rat in great detail for many reasons. Firstly to highlight that the world has turned to cannibalism and violence. For example “like an animal inside a skull looking out the eyeholes" portrays the sense that the road rat has lost all his humanity and what if left of him is the uncontrollable hunger for survival. Also it highlights how good people cannot be defined as there's many ways to be good person and it suggests that good people are a rarity. It could be used to evoke the sense that to be a good person is hard in a world that is consumed by violence. In addition the idea of good people and bad people reflect how in the bible people are seen as either good or bad. Furthermore to emphasize how there is more bad people than good people in the world as in the road the boy and the man are seen as the minority within society.
The road rats character is explicit especially when he talks to the man to highlight that he wasn't well educated and came from a rough background through the quotation " i aint goin nowheres" reiterates that he doesn't seem to have had a good education through the use of slang. It also seems that he's trying to be hostile and aggressive towards the man by demanding that he isn't going to leave him alone. In addition the casual attitude he evokes suggests that he doesn't see the man as a threat and that he's used to fighting for his survival. This echoes the stereotype of a bad guy as he shows no remorse or kindness towards the man and doesn't care about anyone’s situation apart from his own. This aggressive character emphasizes how the violence of the world has influenced people's behaviour as it seems the only way to survive it to fight and kill other people. The man’s character is inexplicit to reiterate the sense of mystery surrounding his character and indicates the sense that he has no identity. Furthermore it could be used to show that he is scared that if he had an identity he would appear weak and an easy target for the bad guys so by appearing cold and emotionless he will seem more threatening and powerful.
The exchanges between the man and the road rat highlights that the man was well educated as he states ".... frontal lobe.... colliculus and temporal gyrus". This shows that he is highly intelligent and has extensive medical and biological knowledge about the parts of the brain that only someone who had studied it would know. Also McCarthy states that " the man dropped to the ground and ... leveled the pistol and fired from a two handed position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet. The swift and efficiency of these movements highlight that he has experience when using a gun and knows exactly where to shoot someone in order to kill them instantly. The quotation "at a distance of six feet" reflects that he was very accurate when shooting and to be able to shoot someone from that distance is highly impressive and would take practice to perfect. This echoes the sense that he is experienced. Finally as soon as the road rat has his son he quickly kills him which emphasizes that it was a natural instinct for him firstly to protect his son and secondly to kill someone when threatened.
The quotation ""A single round left in the revolver. You will not face the truth. You will not" echoes the words of his wife as she states that “they are going to rape us and kills us and eat us and you won't face it". This shows that his wife thinks that he is a coward as he won't face the truth about the world and that she doesn't believe he will be able to kill his son as he's too weak and naive. These words are uttered within his mind to emphasize that her words are haunting him and controlling him to the point of insanity. Also it indicates the power and control she had over him and that he seemed desperate to please her but was too scared to make the ultimate sacrifice by killing his son. Furthermore the statement "you will not" reiterates that he is talking to himself and is convincing himself that he will not do it. The repetition of the statement "you will not" highlights that his mind is in torment as he is crippled with guilt for allowing his son to survive but also the fear of being alone in a dead world.
The other men do not chase the boy and the man as they had boiled "bones and the skin piled together.... a pool of guts". This highlights the inhumanity of the men as they sat in the middle of the road and ate their friend even down to the bone and the skin which echoes a sense of desperation and cannibalism as they eat everything. Also the fact that they don't cover up what they've done indicates that they are not ashamed and that cannibalism is their normality. The horrific nature of the act echoes the harshness of the situation they are in as they will do anything to survive even if that means eating their friends. Furthermore it shows how friendships are insignificant when it comes to hunger as the man they had eaten was their friend a few moments before. Finally it emphasizes how the nature of people has changed as people are more like animals than human beings.
It’s not until page 77 that the father decides to clean the gore off of the boys face. This is extremely shocking as in society today it would be natural instinct to clean the gore off of his face immediately this echoes how priorities are different when the most important thing is to survive. It’s also confusing how he takes care of him by wrapping him in blankets and feeding him but he doesn't seem to find the time until later to clean the gore off of his face. This highlights the extremity of their situation as the man sees feeding him and keeping him warm more important than the fact that his boy is covered in another mans remains. This reiterates the coldness of the mans character as he doesn't stop to think about how the boy is feeling about having gore all over his face and instead concentrates on keeping them alive
McCarthy description of the men illustrates that they are part of the world and are a group within society. Also they are described as having "hooded heads" this evokes the sense that they're intimidating and powerful. McCarthy then states that they were wearing "canister masks... one in a biohazard suit" this suggests that they are aware of the world’s destruction and that they need to be protection from the world’s toxic fumes. This evokes the sense that the death of the world is the normality to them as they don't show a sense of fear. The biohazard suit is described as being "stained and filthy" this emphasizes that the disintegration of the world clung to the clothes and it almost seems as it’s insignificant to them. The man calls the group of men "them" this suggests that he doesn't think of them as human beings and instead another obstacle for their survival. Furthermore it shows that he sees them as the "bad guys" and doesn't seem surprised by their presence which indicates that he could sense them coming.
McCarthy describes the ship as "lumbering and creaking like a ship" this is a biblical reference to the tale of Noah’s ark as he builds a ship to save the animals from the storm. This ship could also be used to symbolise their journey and that the creaks could represent the cracks of hope and survival left in their journey. However this reference to the tale of Noah’s ark could also be used to suggest irony as Noah used the ship to save the animals whereas the journey of the man and boy is the survival of each other. In addition the word "lumbering" could highlight the monotonous and tiresome journey of the boy and the man.
McCarthy describes the road rat in great detail for many reasons. Firstly to highlight that the world has turned to cannibalism and violence. For example “like an animal inside a skull looking out the eyeholes" portrays the sense that the road rat has lost all his humanity and what if left of him is the uncontrollable hunger for survival. Also it highlights how good people cannot be defined as there's many ways to be good person and it suggests that good people are a rarity. It could be used to evoke the sense that to be a good person is hard in a world that is consumed by violence. In addition the idea of good people and bad people reflect how in the bible people are seen as either good or bad. Furthermore to emphasize how there is more bad people than good people in the world as in the road the boy and the man are seen as the minority within society.
The road rats character is explicit especially when he talks to the man to highlight that he wasn't well educated and came from a rough background through the quotation " i aint goin nowheres" reiterates that he doesn't seem to have had a good education through the use of slang. It also seems that he's trying to be hostile and aggressive towards the man by demanding that he isn't going to leave him alone. In addition the casual attitude he evokes suggests that he doesn't see the man as a threat and that he's used to fighting for his survival. This echoes the stereotype of a bad guy as he shows no remorse or kindness towards the man and doesn't care about anyone’s situation apart from his own. This aggressive character emphasizes how the violence of the world has influenced people's behaviour as it seems the only way to survive it to fight and kill other people. The man’s character is inexplicit to reiterate the sense of mystery surrounding his character and indicates the sense that he has no identity. Furthermore it could be used to show that he is scared that if he had an identity he would appear weak and an easy target for the bad guys so by appearing cold and emotionless he will seem more threatening and powerful.
The exchanges between the man and the road rat highlights that the man was well educated as he states ".... frontal lobe.... colliculus and temporal gyrus". This shows that he is highly intelligent and has extensive medical and biological knowledge about the parts of the brain that only someone who had studied it would know. Also McCarthy states that " the man dropped to the ground and ... leveled the pistol and fired from a two handed position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet. The swift and efficiency of these movements highlight that he has experience when using a gun and knows exactly where to shoot someone in order to kill them instantly. The quotation "at a distance of six feet" reflects that he was very accurate when shooting and to be able to shoot someone from that distance is highly impressive and would take practice to perfect. This echoes the sense that he is experienced. Finally as soon as the road rat has his son he quickly kills him which emphasizes that it was a natural instinct for him firstly to protect his son and secondly to kill someone when threatened.
The quotation ""A single round left in the revolver. You will not face the truth. You will not" echoes the words of his wife as she states that “they are going to rape us and kills us and eat us and you won't face it". This shows that his wife thinks that he is a coward as he won't face the truth about the world and that she doesn't believe he will be able to kill his son as he's too weak and naive. These words are uttered within his mind to emphasize that her words are haunting him and controlling him to the point of insanity. Also it indicates the power and control she had over him and that he seemed desperate to please her but was too scared to make the ultimate sacrifice by killing his son. Furthermore the statement "you will not" reiterates that he is talking to himself and is convincing himself that he will not do it. The repetition of the statement "you will not" highlights that his mind is in torment as he is crippled with guilt for allowing his son to survive but also the fear of being alone in a dead world.
The other men do not chase the boy and the man as they had boiled "bones and the skin piled together.... a pool of guts". This highlights the inhumanity of the men as they sat in the middle of the road and ate their friend even down to the bone and the skin which echoes a sense of desperation and cannibalism as they eat everything. Also the fact that they don't cover up what they've done indicates that they are not ashamed and that cannibalism is their normality. The horrific nature of the act echoes the harshness of the situation they are in as they will do anything to survive even if that means eating their friends. Furthermore it shows how friendships are insignificant when it comes to hunger as the man they had eaten was their friend a few moments before. Finally it emphasizes how the nature of people has changed as people are more like animals than human beings.
It’s not until page 77 that the father decides to clean the gore off of the boys face. This is extremely shocking as in society today it would be natural instinct to clean the gore off of his face immediately this echoes how priorities are different when the most important thing is to survive. It’s also confusing how he takes care of him by wrapping him in blankets and feeding him but he doesn't seem to find the time until later to clean the gore off of his face. This highlights the extremity of their situation as the man sees feeding him and keeping him warm more important than the fact that his boy is covered in another mans remains. This reiterates the coldness of the mans character as he doesn't stop to think about how the boy is feeling about having gore all over his face and instead concentrates on keeping them alive
Thursday, 17 November 2011
The Road techniques
iii) The death of everything living plants,trees, creatures and most other human beings- is evoked through the bleakness and deadness of the language.
McCarthy evokes the idea of the every living thing in the world is slowly dying when he describes the sea creature as having "translucent skin.... alabaster bones and eyes dead white and sightless as the eggs of spiders". The translucent skins indicates that the sea creature is slowly dying as the colour of their skin is becoming so clear that you can see the bones of the creature and the paleness of the creature represents death. McCarthy uses a simile when he states that the creature’s eyes were "dead white and sightless as the eggs of spiders". This emphasizes the idea that there's no life left in the creature’s eyes as they're white. This also highlights that death is almost taking over everything that made it a living creature instead death has left it almost blind to any of the hope left in the world. McCarthy states the "segments of the road there among the dead trees. Looking for anything of colour." This intensifies the assumption that the world is so bleak that all the life and colour of everything living has been taken out of the world and instead death has left its remains of every living thing. Also it’s as if there’s no beauty left in the world as all the colour has been drained out of every living thing. In addition the quotation the "weeds they forded fell to dust about them" reiterates the idea that everything living is disintegrating into nothing. Also the abruptness of this statement suggests the finality of what’s happening and that death is becoming the normality. Furthermore the use of personification and pathetic fallacy is used for example the "nameless dark come to enshroud them". This suggests that the darkness is almost engulfing the world to the point where darkness is covering the world and trapping all the sense of humanity and hope.
vi- Avoiding emotional language and keeping it simple makes the narrative all the more engaging.
McCarthy avoids using emotional language as it allows you to engage with the characters more. Also as it’s you're perspective of the character it helps you to connect emotionally with the characters. For example McCarthy doesn't portray many emotions and when he does they're vague and ambiguous. The vagueness allows us to create our own assumptions and connect our own experiences with the characters experiences. McCarthy especially doesn't suggest intense emotions in the boy especially as he wants to maintain his innocence. For example "the boy was lying in his lap with no expression on his face at all". The simplicity of the sentence of the boys face having no expression at all intensifies the reader’s engagement as it makes them feel sober that the boy’s emotions have become as cold as his father. In addition it could be showing that the boy is finally accepting that death is normality and in order to survive it has to be done. He further reiterates the sense of coldness within the boy when he states that "... his forehead covered with gore and mute as a stone" this is a horrific image presented by McCarthy as the boy has a man’s remains on his face but he maintains emotionless. It’s almost as if death has numbed him to the point where he's silenced himself from the rest of the world and made him self oblivious to death that’s right in front of him. Also the mans wife is also presented in a very cold manner. An example of this is when she states that “they will rape me. they'll rape him... and eat us.." the abruptness of these statements emphasizes that she is bitter and has no remorse for the prospect of her son being raped and its as if she truly believes its inevitable.
McCarthy evokes the idea of the every living thing in the world is slowly dying when he describes the sea creature as having "translucent skin.... alabaster bones and eyes dead white and sightless as the eggs of spiders". The translucent skins indicates that the sea creature is slowly dying as the colour of their skin is becoming so clear that you can see the bones of the creature and the paleness of the creature represents death. McCarthy uses a simile when he states that the creature’s eyes were "dead white and sightless as the eggs of spiders". This emphasizes the idea that there's no life left in the creature’s eyes as they're white. This also highlights that death is almost taking over everything that made it a living creature instead death has left it almost blind to any of the hope left in the world. McCarthy states the "segments of the road there among the dead trees. Looking for anything of colour." This intensifies the assumption that the world is so bleak that all the life and colour of everything living has been taken out of the world and instead death has left its remains of every living thing. Also it’s as if there’s no beauty left in the world as all the colour has been drained out of every living thing. In addition the quotation the "weeds they forded fell to dust about them" reiterates the idea that everything living is disintegrating into nothing. Also the abruptness of this statement suggests the finality of what’s happening and that death is becoming the normality. Furthermore the use of personification and pathetic fallacy is used for example the "nameless dark come to enshroud them". This suggests that the darkness is almost engulfing the world to the point where darkness is covering the world and trapping all the sense of humanity and hope.
vi- Avoiding emotional language and keeping it simple makes the narrative all the more engaging.
McCarthy avoids using emotional language as it allows you to engage with the characters more. Also as it’s you're perspective of the character it helps you to connect emotionally with the characters. For example McCarthy doesn't portray many emotions and when he does they're vague and ambiguous. The vagueness allows us to create our own assumptions and connect our own experiences with the characters experiences. McCarthy especially doesn't suggest intense emotions in the boy especially as he wants to maintain his innocence. For example "the boy was lying in his lap with no expression on his face at all". The simplicity of the sentence of the boys face having no expression at all intensifies the reader’s engagement as it makes them feel sober that the boy’s emotions have become as cold as his father. In addition it could be showing that the boy is finally accepting that death is normality and in order to survive it has to be done. He further reiterates the sense of coldness within the boy when he states that "... his forehead covered with gore and mute as a stone" this is a horrific image presented by McCarthy as the boy has a man’s remains on his face but he maintains emotionless. It’s almost as if death has numbed him to the point where he's silenced himself from the rest of the world and made him self oblivious to death that’s right in front of him. Also the mans wife is also presented in a very cold manner. An example of this is when she states that “they will rape me. they'll rape him... and eat us.." the abruptness of these statements emphasizes that she is bitter and has no remorse for the prospect of her son being raped and its as if she truly believes its inevitable.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Passing of time rest of the novel
Pages 29-49;
"Ate cold beans they'd cooked days ago"-(page 29) Telescoping through time.
"Late in the year"-(page 29) Telescoping through time.
"Where once he'd watched trout swaying in the current"- (page 30) References to time before (flashbacks)
"They set out again in the morning"-(page 30) Passage of time.
"He woke towards the morning"- (page 31) Passage of time.
"A few miles each day" (page 32) Telescoping through time.
"Dark of the invisible moon"-(page 32) Time expands.
"Within a year"- (page 33) Telescoping through time.
"Tomorrow came and went" (page 33) Telescoping through time.
"And then one evening he stopped and looked all about..."- (page 33) Time expands.
"Where he stood once with his own father in a winter long ago"-(page 34) References to a time before (flashbacks).
"In the morning they pressed on" -(page 34) Passage of time.
"They slogged all day..."- (page 35) Telescoping through time.
"It took four more days to come down from the snow..."-(page 37) Telescoping through time.
"Then it returned" -(page 38) Time expanding/a more abstract reference to time.
"They were all day reaching the river"-(page 38) Telescoping through time.
"It's getting colder every day"-(page 42) Time expanding.
"The tree had been there for years"-(page 45). More abstract reference to time.
Passage of the days:
"In the evening" pg 92
"In the morning" pg 93
"He woke in the morning" pg 95
"In the afternoon" pg 98
"Eternal blackness" pg 101
"Blackness... darkness..." pg 102
"When day broke" pg 103
"Within the hour" pg 110
Markers in the year:
"It could be November" pg 93
"Snow" - winter - pg 100
Telescoped time:
"In the evening... tomorrow... dark of night" pg 92 - all in one paragraph
"They might have covered three miles" pg 107
"They'd had no food and little sleep in five days" pg 111
Time expands:
Before (flash backs):
"He'd had this feeling before" pg 93
"He'd seen it all before" pg 94
Suspended time:
"The snow fell nor did it cease to fall" pg 101
Abstract references:
Other:
"In time to wink out forever" pg 93
"It takes a long time" pg 106
"In the early dawn at latest. Running the road in the night" pg 108
"We probably don't have much time" pg 109
Handling of time - Pg 113-133
Passage of days
‘In the night’ – p121
‘it was almost light enough to see’ – 123
‘The boy wouldn’t wake for hours’ – p124
‘He lay there a long time’ – p129
‘They spent the afternoon’ – p131
‘He wondered if it was even midnight’ – 133
‘By evening’ – p133
Telescoped time
‘...rose and set out.
He came across the barn...’ – p124
‘Afternoon... evening...light draw down over the world’ – in one paragraph p131
‘He was gone longer than he’d meant to be’ – gives an indication of time flying p130
Expanded narrative time
‘It was as long night as he could remember out of a great plenty of such nights...dawn was a long time coming...after a while it was day’ – gives a sense of expanded time p132
Before and flashbacks
‘Lingering odour of cows... and he realized they were extinct’ – p127
‘nothing in his memory anywhere of anything so good’ – p130
Abstract references
‘When the time comes? When the time comes there will be no time. Now is the time.’ – p120
‘Phantoms not heard from in a thousand years rousing from their sleep’ – p122
Other
‘He would have ample time later to think about that’ – shows there are no deadlines/rushing p113
‘No time to look’ – contrasts to above quote, shows how we perceive time differs depending on our situation p117
‘stopping to rest each fifty counted steps’ – shows a new way of making references to time; whereas we might say every 5 minutes, the man uses steps as an indication of passing time p123
Handling of Time (Page 176-196)
‘When did you eat last?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘You don’t remember.’
This shows the reader that there is no reason for people on the road to remember when they have eaten as they have no reason to plan meals. We only plan meals today because our day follows a set routine and we eat to keep up with this. On the road however, day and night have almost become one due to the ash and dust that falls, blocking out the sun. They have no concept of time and no reason for it so all they can really distinguish between is day and night so it is easy to imagine how a person could lose track of the days as they are all the same; as long as they are alive, they have no reason to remember when or what they eat.
‘How old are you?’
Similarly to the food, the old man is unable to truthfully recall his age as there is no reason for him to know it and no reminder of the date. Time and day are hypothetical things created by humans to gain a routine in life. However, mankind is dying out and everybody lives in the moment and has no cause to plan ahead, unless people meticulously count each day then it would be impossible to tell precisely when a year has passed and even if someone did work it out, what would be the point? It’s hardly like they’re going to celebrate. McCarthy uses the old man as an example to show that in the novel, the reader can never be certain as to how much time has passed, as the characters have no idea either.
‘How long have you been on the road?’ ‘I’ve always been on the road.’
Once again, in this section, McCarthy uses the dialogue between two characters to make the reader question the necessity of time; the fact that the man can’t actually remember how long he has been on the road for suggests that time is insignificant. The way that the man says he has always been on the road would suggest that time is standing still for these people. McCarthy handles time simply by putting a halt to it to show that it is just another thing on the road which is dying.
‘People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn’t believe in that. Tomorrow wasnt getting ready for them.’
This quote is suggesting that for all the care we take over time, it doesn’t care about us. It is telling the reader that all the worry we have over keeping to a schedule is ridiculous because time is a made up thing and isn’t going to alter itself to suit us. All the people who worried and invested plans in the future, ironically, weren’t actually as prepared for the next day as they could have been where as those who take each day as it comes are surviving still as they had no expectations and don’t need time to rule their lives.
‘In the morning the stood in the road’
McCarthy gives the reader absolutely no idea what time in the morning they are talking about to once again highlight the lack of importance time holds for people on the road. All they have to go by is the road; they walk along it when it is light enough and sleep when it isn’t, to them it is completely irrelevant what time it is as they have no goals in life other than to get to the sea as quickly as possible with no real aim when they get there, meaning that they can take as long as they need to.
‘In the early afternoon’McCarthy uses slightly more detail in this section. This could be because this is the first time phrase used since they left the old man alone in the road so the man and they boy are paying more attention to time as they are feeling guilty, wondering where the old man is and how long he has been left on his own for.
‘In the night he woke in the cold dark’
McCarthy uses this phrase to lead onto ‘coughing and he coughed till his chest was raw’ to fit in with the image that cold dark night quite often symbolise death, something that we know is imminent for the man but the way the author associates it with time suggests that his time is running out quickly.
‘You said it would last a few weeks’ ‘I know.’ ‘But it’s just been a few days.’
This back up the previous quote in suggesting that time is speeding up and things are going a lot quicker than the man and the boy expected them to.
‘He’d slept little in weeks.’
This shows McCarthy skipping through time to move the novel on but also showing the rapid declination of the man’s health, he gets several weeks worse in the few seconds it takes the reader to read it, to emphasize the point.
Handling of time pg 218-238
Page 226: 'They stayed in the house for four days eating and sleeping'. Time is contracted into a short paragraph.
Page 229: 'Long days.' Time has suddenly moved on, we cannot tell whether it is days or weeks.
Page 230: 'An hour later...' Chronological order.
Page 233: 'With dark they built a fire.' Shows the turning of day to night.
Page 235: 'In the morning...' Chronological order.
Page 219-224: Several pages devoted to a short time, less than half an hour. Every little detail is told.
Page 228-229: Time goes very fast, one second they are at the abandoned house and in the next paragraph they are standing in a supermarket. Then it skips to 'Long days' and we cannot tell whether is has been days or weeks or months.
Page 234: Flashback, 'he remembered walking once on such a night...' he is comparing his old beach memories to his experiences on the beach now. He is remembering a better time. This is significant because flashbacks occur throughout the novel as a running theme.
Pages 302-307
Reference to before-'Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains' page 306
Time seems to be suspended and more abstract view of time- 'On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming' page 307
Time is telescoped 'He cried for a long time' page 306
Time seems suspended 'You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow' page 307
"Ate cold beans they'd cooked days ago"-(page 29) Telescoping through time.
"Late in the year"-(page 29) Telescoping through time.
"Where once he'd watched trout swaying in the current"- (page 30) References to time before (flashbacks)
"They set out again in the morning"-(page 30) Passage of time.
"He woke towards the morning"- (page 31) Passage of time.
"A few miles each day" (page 32) Telescoping through time.
"Dark of the invisible moon"-(page 32) Time expands.
"Within a year"- (page 33) Telescoping through time.
"Tomorrow came and went" (page 33) Telescoping through time.
"And then one evening he stopped and looked all about..."- (page 33) Time expands.
"Where he stood once with his own father in a winter long ago"-(page 34) References to a time before (flashbacks).
"In the morning they pressed on" -(page 34) Passage of time.
"They slogged all day..."- (page 35) Telescoping through time.
"It took four more days to come down from the snow..."-(page 37) Telescoping through time.
"Then it returned" -(page 38) Time expanding/a more abstract reference to time.
"They were all day reaching the river"-(page 38) Telescoping through time.
"It's getting colder every day"-(page 42) Time expanding.
"The tree had been there for years"-(page 45). More abstract reference to time.
Passage of the days:
"In the evening" pg 92
"In the morning" pg 93
"He woke in the morning" pg 95
"In the afternoon" pg 98
"Eternal blackness" pg 101
"Blackness... darkness..." pg 102
"When day broke" pg 103
"Within the hour" pg 110
Markers in the year:
"It could be November" pg 93
"Snow" - winter - pg 100
Telescoped time:
"In the evening... tomorrow... dark of night" pg 92 - all in one paragraph
"They might have covered three miles" pg 107
"They'd had no food and little sleep in five days" pg 111
Time expands:
Before (flash backs):
"He'd had this feeling before" pg 93
"He'd seen it all before" pg 94
Suspended time:
"The snow fell nor did it cease to fall" pg 101
Abstract references:
Other:
"In time to wink out forever" pg 93
"It takes a long time" pg 106
"In the early dawn at latest. Running the road in the night" pg 108
"We probably don't have much time" pg 109
Handling of time - Pg 113-133
Passage of days
‘In the night’ – p121
‘it was almost light enough to see’ – 123
‘The boy wouldn’t wake for hours’ – p124
‘He lay there a long time’ – p129
‘They spent the afternoon’ – p131
‘He wondered if it was even midnight’ – 133
‘By evening’ – p133
Telescoped time
‘...rose and set out.
He came across the barn...’ – p124
‘Afternoon... evening...light draw down over the world’ – in one paragraph p131
‘He was gone longer than he’d meant to be’ – gives an indication of time flying p130
Expanded narrative time
‘It was as long night as he could remember out of a great plenty of such nights...dawn was a long time coming...after a while it was day’ – gives a sense of expanded time p132
Before and flashbacks
‘Lingering odour of cows... and he realized they were extinct’ – p127
‘nothing in his memory anywhere of anything so good’ – p130
Abstract references
‘When the time comes? When the time comes there will be no time. Now is the time.’ – p120
‘Phantoms not heard from in a thousand years rousing from their sleep’ – p122
Other
‘He would have ample time later to think about that’ – shows there are no deadlines/rushing p113
‘No time to look’ – contrasts to above quote, shows how we perceive time differs depending on our situation p117
‘stopping to rest each fifty counted steps’ – shows a new way of making references to time; whereas we might say every 5 minutes, the man uses steps as an indication of passing time p123
Handling of Time (Page 176-196)
‘When did you eat last?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘You don’t remember.’
This shows the reader that there is no reason for people on the road to remember when they have eaten as they have no reason to plan meals. We only plan meals today because our day follows a set routine and we eat to keep up with this. On the road however, day and night have almost become one due to the ash and dust that falls, blocking out the sun. They have no concept of time and no reason for it so all they can really distinguish between is day and night so it is easy to imagine how a person could lose track of the days as they are all the same; as long as they are alive, they have no reason to remember when or what they eat.
‘How old are you?’
Similarly to the food, the old man is unable to truthfully recall his age as there is no reason for him to know it and no reminder of the date. Time and day are hypothetical things created by humans to gain a routine in life. However, mankind is dying out and everybody lives in the moment and has no cause to plan ahead, unless people meticulously count each day then it would be impossible to tell precisely when a year has passed and even if someone did work it out, what would be the point? It’s hardly like they’re going to celebrate. McCarthy uses the old man as an example to show that in the novel, the reader can never be certain as to how much time has passed, as the characters have no idea either.
‘How long have you been on the road?’ ‘I’ve always been on the road.’
Once again, in this section, McCarthy uses the dialogue between two characters to make the reader question the necessity of time; the fact that the man can’t actually remember how long he has been on the road for suggests that time is insignificant. The way that the man says he has always been on the road would suggest that time is standing still for these people. McCarthy handles time simply by putting a halt to it to show that it is just another thing on the road which is dying.
‘People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn’t believe in that. Tomorrow wasnt getting ready for them.’
This quote is suggesting that for all the care we take over time, it doesn’t care about us. It is telling the reader that all the worry we have over keeping to a schedule is ridiculous because time is a made up thing and isn’t going to alter itself to suit us. All the people who worried and invested plans in the future, ironically, weren’t actually as prepared for the next day as they could have been where as those who take each day as it comes are surviving still as they had no expectations and don’t need time to rule their lives.
‘In the morning the stood in the road’
McCarthy gives the reader absolutely no idea what time in the morning they are talking about to once again highlight the lack of importance time holds for people on the road. All they have to go by is the road; they walk along it when it is light enough and sleep when it isn’t, to them it is completely irrelevant what time it is as they have no goals in life other than to get to the sea as quickly as possible with no real aim when they get there, meaning that they can take as long as they need to.
‘In the early afternoon’McCarthy uses slightly more detail in this section. This could be because this is the first time phrase used since they left the old man alone in the road so the man and they boy are paying more attention to time as they are feeling guilty, wondering where the old man is and how long he has been left on his own for.
‘In the night he woke in the cold dark’
McCarthy uses this phrase to lead onto ‘coughing and he coughed till his chest was raw’ to fit in with the image that cold dark night quite often symbolise death, something that we know is imminent for the man but the way the author associates it with time suggests that his time is running out quickly.
‘You said it would last a few weeks’ ‘I know.’ ‘But it’s just been a few days.’
This back up the previous quote in suggesting that time is speeding up and things are going a lot quicker than the man and the boy expected them to.
‘He’d slept little in weeks.’
This shows McCarthy skipping through time to move the novel on but also showing the rapid declination of the man’s health, he gets several weeks worse in the few seconds it takes the reader to read it, to emphasize the point.
Handling of time pg 218-238
Page 226: 'They stayed in the house for four days eating and sleeping'. Time is contracted into a short paragraph.
Page 229: 'Long days.' Time has suddenly moved on, we cannot tell whether it is days or weeks.
Page 230: 'An hour later...' Chronological order.
Page 233: 'With dark they built a fire.' Shows the turning of day to night.
Page 235: 'In the morning...' Chronological order.
Page 219-224: Several pages devoted to a short time, less than half an hour. Every little detail is told.
Page 228-229: Time goes very fast, one second they are at the abandoned house and in the next paragraph they are standing in a supermarket. Then it skips to 'Long days' and we cannot tell whether is has been days or weeks or months.
Page 234: Flashback, 'he remembered walking once on such a night...' he is comparing his old beach memories to his experiences on the beach now. He is remembering a better time. This is significant because flashbacks occur throughout the novel as a running theme.
Pages 302-307
Reference to before-'Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains' page 306
Time seems to be suspended and more abstract view of time- 'On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming' page 307
Time is telescoped 'He cried for a long time' page 306
Time seems suspended 'You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow' page 307
The passing of time 292-301
References to the passage of days
pg292- "The days sloughed past uncounted and uncalendared.."
pg294- "In two days time..."
pg295- "The next day.."
pg300- "That night.."
pg301- "He stayed three days.."
Markers in the year
pg294- "Winter was already upon them"
References to before
pg300- "do you remember that little boy,Papa?.."
Points at which time seems to be suspended
pg300- death of his father "he stayed three days.."
Points at which narrative time is telescoped
pg301- " someone was coming."
Points at which narrative time expands
pg293- " they begun to come upon dead windfalls of pine trees great swaths of ruin cut through the countryside"
Points at which narrative time
pg292- "The days sloughed past uncounted and uncalendared.."
pg294- "In two days time..."
pg295- "The next day.."
pg300- "That night.."
pg301- "He stayed three days.."
Markers in the year
pg294- "Winter was already upon them"
References to before
pg300- "do you remember that little boy,Papa?.."
Points at which time seems to be suspended
pg300- death of his father "he stayed three days.."
Points at which narrative time is telescoped
pg301- " someone was coming."
Points at which narrative time expands
pg293- " they begun to come upon dead windfalls of pine trees great swaths of ruin cut through the countryside"
Points at which narrative time
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Little Red Riding Hood By Amy McKay and Laura Hopkinson
She was walking in the woods. The sky. Gloomy. Dark. She turned a corner and heard a crack! She couldn't see anything but the shadow of the trees. She went on. The wolf appeared from behind a tree. The wolf was black, illuminated by the sun rays. Savage. Awaiting its victim.
Hello my dear, where are you going with that basket?
I should not talk to strangers.
Here I picked you some flowers.
Thank you. She went on.
She arrived at the cottage. She put the basket on the bed. Oh Christ. O Christ. What big eyes you have.
All the better to see you with.
Oh Christ. Oh Christ. What big ears you have.
All the better to hear you with. What big teeth you have.
All the better to eat you with.
She screamed. A woodcutter burst through the door. An axe in hand. He chopped off the wolf's head. The head lay motionless on the floor. He opened the cupboard door. Coldness and damp. A high pitched squeal came from the corner of the room. The woman's arms were tied up. The woodcutter cut her free.
Okay?
Okay.
You okay Granny?
Im okay.
Sure?
Okay. She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek. The woodcutter left. They sat down and ate the food from the basket. Then Little Red Riding Hood went home.
Hello my dear, where are you going with that basket?
I should not talk to strangers.
Here I picked you some flowers.
Thank you. She went on.
She arrived at the cottage. She put the basket on the bed. Oh Christ. O Christ. What big eyes you have.
All the better to see you with.
Oh Christ. Oh Christ. What big ears you have.
All the better to hear you with. What big teeth you have.
All the better to eat you with.
She screamed. A woodcutter burst through the door. An axe in hand. He chopped off the wolf's head. The head lay motionless on the floor. He opened the cupboard door. Coldness and damp. A high pitched squeal came from the corner of the room. The woman's arms were tied up. The woodcutter cut her free.
Okay?
Okay.
You okay Granny?
Im okay.
Sure?
Okay. She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek. The woodcutter left. They sat down and ate the food from the basket. Then Little Red Riding Hood went home.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
McCarthy's Style
(pp 214)"Slow water in the flat country. The sloughs by the roadside motionless and grey. The coastal plain rivers in leaden serpentine across the wasted farmland. They went on. Ahead in the road was a dip and a stand of cane. I think there's a bridge there, he said.Probably a creek.
Can we drink the water?
We don't have a choice.
It won't make us sick.
I don't think so. It could be dry.
Can I go ahead?
Yes.of course you can."
Sentence structure- The use of short sentences creates a slow pace and suggests a sense of finality. This furthermore creates a sense of monotone as no emotion is expressed.
Vocabulary- Most of the words are monosyllabic this also creates a sense of monotone.
The use of minimal description shows the importance of task to find water. Also it indicates that because it's not the characters main focus the readers highlight it as being unimportant.
Effect on Reader - They feel a lack of enthusiasm that reflects how the characters are feeling.
Also a lack of excitement is shown through the sense of abruptness of the short sentences.
The readers may also feel disinterested through the lack of emotion shown and the slow pace.
Can we drink the water?
We don't have a choice.
It won't make us sick.
I don't think so. It could be dry.
Can I go ahead?
Yes.of course you can."
Sentence structure- The use of short sentences creates a slow pace and suggests a sense of finality. This furthermore creates a sense of monotone as no emotion is expressed.
Vocabulary- Most of the words are monosyllabic this also creates a sense of monotone.
The use of minimal description shows the importance of task to find water. Also it indicates that because it's not the characters main focus the readers highlight it as being unimportant.
Effect on Reader - They feel a lack of enthusiasm that reflects how the characters are feeling.
Also a lack of excitement is shown through the sense of abruptness of the short sentences.
The readers may also feel disinterested through the lack of emotion shown and the slow pace.
Friday, 21 October 2011
key episodes
As you read The Road you will come across some key episodes
- Coming across the man who has been struck by lightening (pp. 50-53)-
The episode of the man who has been struck by lightening creates a horrific image of a man who's dying in pain. It made me think about how death is all around you and no matter how hard you try to pretend that death isn't there it always finds you in the end.
Cormac McCarthy may be trying to highlight how dangerous and violent the world the father and son were living in and how every day is a fight for survival. McCarthy describes the man as being "as burnt looking as the country". This suggests that the man’s burnt rags resemble how the country is in turmoil. He also describes the man's clothes as being "scorched and black" this indicates that the ruin of the country is so suffocating that its almost covering everything the man has left. The burnt man may also suggest how in the novel death will be paramount.
Also the son could be a symbol of innocence and humanity as he's begging his father to help the man. The use of short sentences creates tension, for example "no one spoke". This creates tension because it’s a very abrupt and creates questions in you're mind as to what’s going to happen next. This scene shows how the relationship between the father and son is emotionless and almost rigid with tension. This is shown through the use of dialogue as you can't tell whether the father or son is talking which suggests that there's no connection between them and that they have no identity.
The sense of no identity is also suggested when the man empties his pockets "some money, credit cards, his drivers licence". This shows how the father is trying to rid himself of his identity by taking all his possessions and leaving them in the road this could be a representation of the old life he's leaving behind. Also leaving behind the money and the credit cards suggests how money doesn't matter anymore. Also it shows how the fathers mind is practical as he's only thinking that the man is an obstacle and will slow them down whereas the son's mind is warped with guilt as he's always pleading his dad to help people.
Furthermore the fact that they don't help the man shows how the father is emotionless and inhumane.
This scene stands out as significant in the novel due to the fact that’s it's the first time McCarthy allows its readers to have an insight into the violent world the father and son live in. Also the disturbing images that McCarthy puts into you're mind such as the man’s "...blackened skull" image is so violent that they stick into you're mind.
Shooting the 'roadrat' (pp. 62-69)
This episode depressed me that the fathers desperation for survival has lead him to commit such as horrific crime and it shocked me that the father allowed his son to watch him kill the 'road rat' as I was under the impression that the father is trying to maintain his sons innocence. Also I believed that they father still had a glimmer of humanity left in him and this act left me totally confused because there's no indication that the father has any incentive to kill someone. On the other hand it intrigued me because it made me question whether the father and son would survive as maybe the man’s friends would try to kill them and it allowed me to see a desperate side of the father that I hadn't seen before.
This act could portray the idea that the father is a coward because instead of standing up to the man he takes the easier option and shoots him. McCarthy uses the death of the 'roadrat' to evoke questions about the fathers character as before he just seem emotionless but to kill someone in order to protect himself and his son suggests that he does have some humanity left as he kills the 'roadrat' because he loves his son.
The increase in the pace creates a tense atmosphere as you have to read with the pace of the writing in order to keep up. The use of rapid pace shows how the killing of the act was so quick that there was no time for emotion or cowardness.
Also the killing of the man suggests that there are more deaths to come and that that man may not be the only man the father kills to protect himself and his son.
This act made me read on because McCarthy allows you to see different sides to the characters and it made me wonder whether the father’s personality was as simple as I thought it was.
This act highlighted a different side to the father and son's relationship because before the relationship had seemed tense and emotionless whereas in this scene you see a more caring side to the father as he comforts his son. For example “the boy was frozen with fear, he pulled him to him. It's alright, he said". The realisation that the father is comforting his son shows how the father does have a caring and sensitive side as he's worried about his son’s safety.
Also the quotation “the boy was frozen with fear" reiterates the sons innocence and vulnerability and that the fear inside of him is crippling him. McCarthy states that " he had the pistol in his hand he couldn't remember taking it from his belt" this portrays the idea that the fathers desperation has taken over him and that the gun is the only way he can protect them. Also the fact that he doesn't realise that he's taken the gun from his belt creates a unnerving atmosphere as it seems he has no control over his actions or emotions and that the fear is driving him insane.
The disjointed sentence structure suggests how the fathers mind is in an almost frenzy of emotions. The use of disjointed sentences is shown with the quotation
"just keep coming"
"he looked at the road". This reiterates that the fathers mind is in turmoil.
McCarthy describes the 'roadrat' as having "eyes collared in cups of grime and deeply sunk" this indicates that the dingy, disgusting country has gone deep within him and the fact that his eyes are covered in grime evokes an idea that the man sense of humanity has also been tainted by the depressing state of the country.
This act is significant as it’s the first time you see the father act inhumanely in order to protect himself and his son. It also the first time that you see a glimmer of vulnerability in the father as he feels threatened by the man and kills him out of fear.
Finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people (pp.112-121)
This episode was very disturbing and frightening because this reinforced the horrific situation that the father and son were in and that the world is surrounded by death. Also the fact that the boy experienced it made me feel sympathetic towards him because his experiences of death should not be at such a young innocence age.
McCarthy evokes the feelings of fright and disturbed through the use of terrifying images of mutilated people for example a man lay "with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt". This image is disturbing as it highlights that the man’s body is decaying and that his limbs are burnt to the crisp this may be used as a representation of the ruin of the country.
Also the pace increases to create tension through the use of short abrupt sentences for example "run.run.". The use of short sentences creates tension and unease but also suggests the idea that the panic they are both feeling is controlling their mind as all they want to do is escape and highlights the finality of their decision that they have no choice but to run.
Also when the McCarthy states that the man "..hissed" it emphasizes that he's too scared to speak. In addition McCarthy uses repetition for example "this is the moment.this is the moment" to intensify the sense of fear of the unknown as they don't know what will happen to them. Also it indicates that the man does feel that they have a chance and that "this is the moment" they will die.
Furthermore the use of rhetorical questions such as " what if it doesn't fire?.." this portrays the idea that the fathers mind is in a state of panic and that he can't think straight. Towards the end of the scene McCarthy uses pathetic fallacy to create a sense of peace when he sates ".. cold and starless.Blessed." this indicates a sense of peace and sanity as the nights darkness is almost shielding them from danger. This made me instantly feel the relief that the father and son are feeling from being safe.
This quotation highlights that in the relationship between the father and son the father feels it's his duty to protect his son from danger which is shown when he grows impatient of his son for not keeping up " hurry. for gods sake hurry". This shows that they father does care for his son and that all he wants is his son to be safe.
Also the fact that the boy keeps seeking reassurance from his father for example " what if there's someone here Papa?" this suggests that the boy needs constant reassurance from his father which shows that the son is dependant on his father. Also the father keeps comforting the boy which reinforces the caring side of him for example "shh. I’m right here. I wont leave you" this indicates that he feels that he has to comfort his son and protect him and by doing this he also seems to be reassuring himself that everything is going to be ok.
The pistol is used to symbolise safety and reassurance as when the man is trying to escape from the house he's .." holding onto it" to comfort him that as long as he has it he'll be safe and be able to protect himself and his son. This episode is significant as its unclear what will happen next and the awful images of decaying bodies sticks in you're mind as evidence of how horrific living in this country is.
The baby on the spit (pp 210-215)
The image of the baby on the spit made me feel sad and horrified that as a result of starvation people have resulted in cannibalism. This highlights the harsh reality that people have become so desperate and hungry that they're are willing to kill their own in order to survive.
Also the injustice of the act also upset me as they stuck the babies body is on a spit instead of burying it suggests that there's no respect between people anymore and that its a fight for survival of the fittest. Also the fact that the infant has been beheaded reinforces the inhumane reality of the world.
McCarthy evokes this through the description of the babies body being "charred..headless...gutted and blackening on the spit" this reiterates the desperation felt by the people whom has committed the act as they're so hungry that they took everything from the infant. The abrupt short sentences to describe the infant shows the finality of the situation and conveys the idea that there's not many words that can describe the twisted and disgusting image of the mutilated baby.
There then is a release in tension after seeing the mutilated baby as McCarthy states that " they camped at a river and ... sat by the fire listening to the water.." the simplicity of this act portrays the idea that nature's simplicity can bring the most comfort. Also it indicates a sense of innocence in the father that he seeks reassurance from nature in order to comfort himself. From this episode you're unsure as to what will happen next you begin to question whether someone may creep up on the father and son whilst they're listening to the water.
McCarthy highlights an awkward moment in the episode through using minimal dialogue and that the father is the only one who is speaking. For example McCarthy states that the father "didn’t know whether he would speak again" which emphasizes the boy vulnerability and innocence and that the maybe the fear and horror inside of him has caused him to express no emotion and isolate himself.
Also the fact that the father is expressing his concerns vocally intensifies how worried and guilty he's feeling which contrasts how he was throughout the book as he wasn't very vocal about his emotions. He portrays that he feels guilty when he holds his boy in his arms and repeats "I’m sorry... I’m sorry" this reiterates the underlying guilt that he feels that he's son had to experience that and he seems to blame himself for the loss of his son's innocence.
Symbolism is used for example the mutilated baby could represent cannibalism and how there's no respect for anyone including you're own family.
This is a key episode because it highlights the length people would go in order to survive and in this episode the father and son work together in order to escape which relates to the theme of companionship.
Getting to the shore (pp 227-230)
This episode made me feel disappointed as the was a big build up that the beach was going to bring happiness to them through its beauty but when they get there its nothing like they imagined it would be and instead it was just the man's fantasy.
McCarthy makes you feel disappointed through the use of description for example "Cold.Desolate.Birdless" this enforces the idea that the beach was a huge disappointment as instead of being beautiful it was as dull and bleak like the rest of the places they've been. McCarthy may have done this to enforce the idea that life is full of disappointment and that life isn't as simple as we might think or hope.
This creates a sinister tone because as a reader you're really hoping there would be one place that isn't covered in smog but instead you’re left wondering whether there was any beauty left in the world they were living in. McCarthy also uses horrible images of death when he states " ... the saltbleached ribcages of what may have been cattle" this reiterates the idea that death will continue to haunt and remind the father and son wherever they go as its a constant anxiety especially in the fathers mind. Also the fact that the coast isn't any nicer than the road they walked on emphasizes the dull conditions that they had to live in and continues the theme of disappointment.
The father and sons relationship highlights the theme of companionship and dependency as the father consoles the son that the sea wasn't blue when he states “he could see the disappointment in his face. I’m sorry it's not blue" indicates that he feels guilty that he has lead his son on and presented him with more disappointment. Also the fact that the father recognises that his son is upset suggests that they do have a strong bond but that it’s full of complexities and guilt.
The boy replies to the father by saying "that's okay" which indicates that he's trying to protect his father’s feelings by covering up his own. In addition it may show that the boy has got used to disappointment and has accepted it. It is unclear about what will happen next as their whole journey has been about getting to the coast and now that they've got there and it’s disappointed them you are left confused as to what may happen next. However I felt intrigued as I was still left hoping that someone or something would help them.
McCarthy uses similes to suggest the hopelessness and awful situation for example “... like the desolation of some alien sea breaking on the shores of a world unheard of" this suggests that the dullness of the sea was alien to him because the image of the sea in his mind was beautiful and blue. Also the statement "... a world unheard of" reinforces the idea of the country being derelict.
The coast could be a symbol of their past life being washed away from them and what’s left is the gray beach. On the other hand the coast could be used as a symbol of hope because their destination is what drove them to carry on.
This episode is significant as it teaches you that life isn't always fair and that there's obstacles in life for you to either fall down on or rise up against. It also highlighted that the father and son do have a stong bond because the father realises that his son is upset and consoles him.
The theft of the man and boy's belongings (pp. 270-278)
The man and the boy came back to find that all the possessions had been taken and straightaway there's an indication of panic as the man lists what has been taken which shows that his mind is in a state of panic. He states " the tarp was gone.their blankets...their shoes were gone" to reiterate that the man is losing control of his anger. The irregular sentences reflect the irregularity of the fathers mind and highlights that his mind is in turmoil. Also McCarthy describes the boy's face as "wide eyed" to indicate his naive nature that no one would take anything and that he's frightened of what his father might do.
This episode shocked me as I didn't think that the father could be so inhumane and cold and the way the boy reacted showed that he's didn't believe what his father did was right. Also it enforced the harsh reality that people would do anything to survive and that their possessions were their only chance of survival.
The use of short sentences are used to show the finality of the situation for example “they took everything.come on." and suggests that in the man's mind he's doesn't believe that they will get their possessions back. The man orders the boy to look into the road for sand in order to find out which way they went which continues the theme of authority.
The boy finds the sand trail and they set off down the road and find the man pulling the cart of possessions. This increases the tension as you're uneasy as to how the father will react and the fact that he's pulled out his pistol suggests that he may kill him.
McCarthy states that the man "... saw the pistol he stepped back but he didn't drop the knife" which highlights the defiance of the man and the desperation to survive. When the father sees the man with he cart he instantly shouts "get away from the cart" the shortness of the sentence is very abrupt which suggests that the father has no fear of the man and demands that he gives it back. The father makes the man take off all his clothes and whilst he's doing that the boy is repeating "just help him papa just help him" this indicates that the boy is desperate for the his father to help the man which reflects his innocence as he doesn't understand the consequences of not getting their possessions back and his defiance of his dad shows that he's more humane than his dad as he would rather help someone then leave them to die.
However through continuous persuasion the man leaves the thieves’ clothes in the road after calling out and no one answering which reinforces the idea that the boy is helping his father to try and maintain his humanity. After they leave with their possessions the father states " I wasn't going to kill him" which reflect the idea that the father is trying to reassure himself that he still has some humanity left inside of him. However the boy doesn't reply for a while which shows his reluctance to speak to his father reflects that he feels disappointed and angry at his father for not helping the man.
The boy does state after a long period of silence " but we did kill him" this shows that the boy still believes that his father committed an inhumane act by taking all the thieves clothes and not helping him and that he strongly thinks they still killed him even though they didn't directly as instead of killing him they left him to die anyway. Also the silence reinforces the sense that their relationship is cold and emotionless because instead of talking about it they isolate themselves from each other.
After the episode you're left feeling confused as to what might happen next as it seems that the father and sons relationship is at breaking point and that the boy seems very reluctant to forgive his father.
Also the episode highlights the differences in character as the boy is humane and innocent and wants to help people whilst his father is inhumane and cold. Furthermore it shows how the father and son share different beliefs as to what is morally right as the son believes not helping people is wrong whereas the father believes it had to be done in order to survive.
This episode is significant as it reinforces how desperate times were at the time and that survival was the only option. Also it showed how the father and son differ in terms of personality as the boy’s kindness and his father’s inhumanity are stark contrasts.
Remember to write about
How the episode impacted on you?
What was the writer doing to evoke this response?
Plot progression (what will happen next?)
Your experience (change of mood? A ligher moment? Increase or release of tension?)
How does this develop character and their relationship?
The techniques employed by McCarthy. Is the language in keeping with the rest of the novel? Are there particular symbols or images that are foregrounded?
Is this in fact a key episode? What makes it important? How does it stand out in a novel without chapters or chapter titles?
- Coming across the man who has been struck by lightening (pp. 50-53)-
The episode of the man who has been struck by lightening creates a horrific image of a man who's dying in pain. It made me think about how death is all around you and no matter how hard you try to pretend that death isn't there it always finds you in the end.
Cormac McCarthy may be trying to highlight how dangerous and violent the world the father and son were living in and how every day is a fight for survival. McCarthy describes the man as being "as burnt looking as the country". This suggests that the man’s burnt rags resemble how the country is in turmoil. He also describes the man's clothes as being "scorched and black" this indicates that the ruin of the country is so suffocating that its almost covering everything the man has left. The burnt man may also suggest how in the novel death will be paramount.
Also the son could be a symbol of innocence and humanity as he's begging his father to help the man. The use of short sentences creates tension, for example "no one spoke". This creates tension because it’s a very abrupt and creates questions in you're mind as to what’s going to happen next. This scene shows how the relationship between the father and son is emotionless and almost rigid with tension. This is shown through the use of dialogue as you can't tell whether the father or son is talking which suggests that there's no connection between them and that they have no identity.
The sense of no identity is also suggested when the man empties his pockets "some money, credit cards, his drivers licence". This shows how the father is trying to rid himself of his identity by taking all his possessions and leaving them in the road this could be a representation of the old life he's leaving behind. Also leaving behind the money and the credit cards suggests how money doesn't matter anymore. Also it shows how the fathers mind is practical as he's only thinking that the man is an obstacle and will slow them down whereas the son's mind is warped with guilt as he's always pleading his dad to help people.
Furthermore the fact that they don't help the man shows how the father is emotionless and inhumane.
This scene stands out as significant in the novel due to the fact that’s it's the first time McCarthy allows its readers to have an insight into the violent world the father and son live in. Also the disturbing images that McCarthy puts into you're mind such as the man’s "...blackened skull" image is so violent that they stick into you're mind.
Shooting the 'roadrat' (pp. 62-69)
This episode depressed me that the fathers desperation for survival has lead him to commit such as horrific crime and it shocked me that the father allowed his son to watch him kill the 'road rat' as I was under the impression that the father is trying to maintain his sons innocence. Also I believed that they father still had a glimmer of humanity left in him and this act left me totally confused because there's no indication that the father has any incentive to kill someone. On the other hand it intrigued me because it made me question whether the father and son would survive as maybe the man’s friends would try to kill them and it allowed me to see a desperate side of the father that I hadn't seen before.
This act could portray the idea that the father is a coward because instead of standing up to the man he takes the easier option and shoots him. McCarthy uses the death of the 'roadrat' to evoke questions about the fathers character as before he just seem emotionless but to kill someone in order to protect himself and his son suggests that he does have some humanity left as he kills the 'roadrat' because he loves his son.
The increase in the pace creates a tense atmosphere as you have to read with the pace of the writing in order to keep up. The use of rapid pace shows how the killing of the act was so quick that there was no time for emotion or cowardness.
Also the killing of the man suggests that there are more deaths to come and that that man may not be the only man the father kills to protect himself and his son.
This act made me read on because McCarthy allows you to see different sides to the characters and it made me wonder whether the father’s personality was as simple as I thought it was.
This act highlighted a different side to the father and son's relationship because before the relationship had seemed tense and emotionless whereas in this scene you see a more caring side to the father as he comforts his son. For example “the boy was frozen with fear, he pulled him to him. It's alright, he said". The realisation that the father is comforting his son shows how the father does have a caring and sensitive side as he's worried about his son’s safety.
Also the quotation “the boy was frozen with fear" reiterates the sons innocence and vulnerability and that the fear inside of him is crippling him. McCarthy states that " he had the pistol in his hand he couldn't remember taking it from his belt" this portrays the idea that the fathers desperation has taken over him and that the gun is the only way he can protect them. Also the fact that he doesn't realise that he's taken the gun from his belt creates a unnerving atmosphere as it seems he has no control over his actions or emotions and that the fear is driving him insane.
The disjointed sentence structure suggests how the fathers mind is in an almost frenzy of emotions. The use of disjointed sentences is shown with the quotation
"just keep coming"
"he looked at the road". This reiterates that the fathers mind is in turmoil.
McCarthy describes the 'roadrat' as having "eyes collared in cups of grime and deeply sunk" this indicates that the dingy, disgusting country has gone deep within him and the fact that his eyes are covered in grime evokes an idea that the man sense of humanity has also been tainted by the depressing state of the country.
This act is significant as it’s the first time you see the father act inhumanely in order to protect himself and his son. It also the first time that you see a glimmer of vulnerability in the father as he feels threatened by the man and kills him out of fear.
Finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people (pp.112-121)
This episode was very disturbing and frightening because this reinforced the horrific situation that the father and son were in and that the world is surrounded by death. Also the fact that the boy experienced it made me feel sympathetic towards him because his experiences of death should not be at such a young innocence age.
McCarthy evokes the feelings of fright and disturbed through the use of terrifying images of mutilated people for example a man lay "with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt". This image is disturbing as it highlights that the man’s body is decaying and that his limbs are burnt to the crisp this may be used as a representation of the ruin of the country.
Also the pace increases to create tension through the use of short abrupt sentences for example "run.run.". The use of short sentences creates tension and unease but also suggests the idea that the panic they are both feeling is controlling their mind as all they want to do is escape and highlights the finality of their decision that they have no choice but to run.
Also when the McCarthy states that the man "..hissed" it emphasizes that he's too scared to speak. In addition McCarthy uses repetition for example "this is the moment.this is the moment" to intensify the sense of fear of the unknown as they don't know what will happen to them. Also it indicates that the man does feel that they have a chance and that "this is the moment" they will die.
Furthermore the use of rhetorical questions such as " what if it doesn't fire?.." this portrays the idea that the fathers mind is in a state of panic and that he can't think straight. Towards the end of the scene McCarthy uses pathetic fallacy to create a sense of peace when he sates ".. cold and starless.Blessed." this indicates a sense of peace and sanity as the nights darkness is almost shielding them from danger. This made me instantly feel the relief that the father and son are feeling from being safe.
This quotation highlights that in the relationship between the father and son the father feels it's his duty to protect his son from danger which is shown when he grows impatient of his son for not keeping up " hurry. for gods sake hurry". This shows that they father does care for his son and that all he wants is his son to be safe.
Also the fact that the boy keeps seeking reassurance from his father for example " what if there's someone here Papa?" this suggests that the boy needs constant reassurance from his father which shows that the son is dependant on his father. Also the father keeps comforting the boy which reinforces the caring side of him for example "shh. I’m right here. I wont leave you" this indicates that he feels that he has to comfort his son and protect him and by doing this he also seems to be reassuring himself that everything is going to be ok.
The pistol is used to symbolise safety and reassurance as when the man is trying to escape from the house he's .." holding onto it" to comfort him that as long as he has it he'll be safe and be able to protect himself and his son. This episode is significant as its unclear what will happen next and the awful images of decaying bodies sticks in you're mind as evidence of how horrific living in this country is.
The baby on the spit (pp 210-215)
The image of the baby on the spit made me feel sad and horrified that as a result of starvation people have resulted in cannibalism. This highlights the harsh reality that people have become so desperate and hungry that they're are willing to kill their own in order to survive.
Also the injustice of the act also upset me as they stuck the babies body is on a spit instead of burying it suggests that there's no respect between people anymore and that its a fight for survival of the fittest. Also the fact that the infant has been beheaded reinforces the inhumane reality of the world.
McCarthy evokes this through the description of the babies body being "charred..headless...gutted and blackening on the spit" this reiterates the desperation felt by the people whom has committed the act as they're so hungry that they took everything from the infant. The abrupt short sentences to describe the infant shows the finality of the situation and conveys the idea that there's not many words that can describe the twisted and disgusting image of the mutilated baby.
There then is a release in tension after seeing the mutilated baby as McCarthy states that " they camped at a river and ... sat by the fire listening to the water.." the simplicity of this act portrays the idea that nature's simplicity can bring the most comfort. Also it indicates a sense of innocence in the father that he seeks reassurance from nature in order to comfort himself. From this episode you're unsure as to what will happen next you begin to question whether someone may creep up on the father and son whilst they're listening to the water.
McCarthy highlights an awkward moment in the episode through using minimal dialogue and that the father is the only one who is speaking. For example McCarthy states that the father "didn’t know whether he would speak again" which emphasizes the boy vulnerability and innocence and that the maybe the fear and horror inside of him has caused him to express no emotion and isolate himself.
Also the fact that the father is expressing his concerns vocally intensifies how worried and guilty he's feeling which contrasts how he was throughout the book as he wasn't very vocal about his emotions. He portrays that he feels guilty when he holds his boy in his arms and repeats "I’m sorry... I’m sorry" this reiterates the underlying guilt that he feels that he's son had to experience that and he seems to blame himself for the loss of his son's innocence.
Symbolism is used for example the mutilated baby could represent cannibalism and how there's no respect for anyone including you're own family.
This is a key episode because it highlights the length people would go in order to survive and in this episode the father and son work together in order to escape which relates to the theme of companionship.
Getting to the shore (pp 227-230)
This episode made me feel disappointed as the was a big build up that the beach was going to bring happiness to them through its beauty but when they get there its nothing like they imagined it would be and instead it was just the man's fantasy.
McCarthy makes you feel disappointed through the use of description for example "Cold.Desolate.Birdless" this enforces the idea that the beach was a huge disappointment as instead of being beautiful it was as dull and bleak like the rest of the places they've been. McCarthy may have done this to enforce the idea that life is full of disappointment and that life isn't as simple as we might think or hope.
This creates a sinister tone because as a reader you're really hoping there would be one place that isn't covered in smog but instead you’re left wondering whether there was any beauty left in the world they were living in. McCarthy also uses horrible images of death when he states " ... the saltbleached ribcages of what may have been cattle" this reiterates the idea that death will continue to haunt and remind the father and son wherever they go as its a constant anxiety especially in the fathers mind. Also the fact that the coast isn't any nicer than the road they walked on emphasizes the dull conditions that they had to live in and continues the theme of disappointment.
The father and sons relationship highlights the theme of companionship and dependency as the father consoles the son that the sea wasn't blue when he states “he could see the disappointment in his face. I’m sorry it's not blue" indicates that he feels guilty that he has lead his son on and presented him with more disappointment. Also the fact that the father recognises that his son is upset suggests that they do have a strong bond but that it’s full of complexities and guilt.
The boy replies to the father by saying "that's okay" which indicates that he's trying to protect his father’s feelings by covering up his own. In addition it may show that the boy has got used to disappointment and has accepted it. It is unclear about what will happen next as their whole journey has been about getting to the coast and now that they've got there and it’s disappointed them you are left confused as to what may happen next. However I felt intrigued as I was still left hoping that someone or something would help them.
McCarthy uses similes to suggest the hopelessness and awful situation for example “... like the desolation of some alien sea breaking on the shores of a world unheard of" this suggests that the dullness of the sea was alien to him because the image of the sea in his mind was beautiful and blue. Also the statement "... a world unheard of" reinforces the idea of the country being derelict.
The coast could be a symbol of their past life being washed away from them and what’s left is the gray beach. On the other hand the coast could be used as a symbol of hope because their destination is what drove them to carry on.
This episode is significant as it teaches you that life isn't always fair and that there's obstacles in life for you to either fall down on or rise up against. It also highlighted that the father and son do have a stong bond because the father realises that his son is upset and consoles him.
The theft of the man and boy's belongings (pp. 270-278)
The man and the boy came back to find that all the possessions had been taken and straightaway there's an indication of panic as the man lists what has been taken which shows that his mind is in a state of panic. He states " the tarp was gone.their blankets...their shoes were gone" to reiterate that the man is losing control of his anger. The irregular sentences reflect the irregularity of the fathers mind and highlights that his mind is in turmoil. Also McCarthy describes the boy's face as "wide eyed" to indicate his naive nature that no one would take anything and that he's frightened of what his father might do.
This episode shocked me as I didn't think that the father could be so inhumane and cold and the way the boy reacted showed that he's didn't believe what his father did was right. Also it enforced the harsh reality that people would do anything to survive and that their possessions were their only chance of survival.
The use of short sentences are used to show the finality of the situation for example “they took everything.come on." and suggests that in the man's mind he's doesn't believe that they will get their possessions back. The man orders the boy to look into the road for sand in order to find out which way they went which continues the theme of authority.
The boy finds the sand trail and they set off down the road and find the man pulling the cart of possessions. This increases the tension as you're uneasy as to how the father will react and the fact that he's pulled out his pistol suggests that he may kill him.
McCarthy states that the man "... saw the pistol he stepped back but he didn't drop the knife" which highlights the defiance of the man and the desperation to survive. When the father sees the man with he cart he instantly shouts "get away from the cart" the shortness of the sentence is very abrupt which suggests that the father has no fear of the man and demands that he gives it back. The father makes the man take off all his clothes and whilst he's doing that the boy is repeating "just help him papa just help him" this indicates that the boy is desperate for the his father to help the man which reflects his innocence as he doesn't understand the consequences of not getting their possessions back and his defiance of his dad shows that he's more humane than his dad as he would rather help someone then leave them to die.
However through continuous persuasion the man leaves the thieves’ clothes in the road after calling out and no one answering which reinforces the idea that the boy is helping his father to try and maintain his humanity. After they leave with their possessions the father states " I wasn't going to kill him" which reflect the idea that the father is trying to reassure himself that he still has some humanity left inside of him. However the boy doesn't reply for a while which shows his reluctance to speak to his father reflects that he feels disappointed and angry at his father for not helping the man.
The boy does state after a long period of silence " but we did kill him" this shows that the boy still believes that his father committed an inhumane act by taking all the thieves clothes and not helping him and that he strongly thinks they still killed him even though they didn't directly as instead of killing him they left him to die anyway. Also the silence reinforces the sense that their relationship is cold and emotionless because instead of talking about it they isolate themselves from each other.
After the episode you're left feeling confused as to what might happen next as it seems that the father and sons relationship is at breaking point and that the boy seems very reluctant to forgive his father.
Also the episode highlights the differences in character as the boy is humane and innocent and wants to help people whilst his father is inhumane and cold. Furthermore it shows how the father and son share different beliefs as to what is morally right as the son believes not helping people is wrong whereas the father believes it had to be done in order to survive.
This episode is significant as it reinforces how desperate times were at the time and that survival was the only option. Also it showed how the father and son differ in terms of personality as the boy’s kindness and his father’s inhumanity are stark contrasts.
Remember to write about
How the episode impacted on you?
What was the writer doing to evoke this response?
Plot progression (what will happen next?)
Your experience (change of mood? A ligher moment? Increase or release of tension?)
How does this develop character and their relationship?
The techniques employed by McCarthy. Is the language in keeping with the rest of the novel? Are there particular symbols or images that are foregrounded?
Is this in fact a key episode? What makes it important? How does it stand out in a novel without chapters or chapter titles?
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Quotations - expectations
It is essential you recognise Cormac McCarthy's crafting of sentences in "The Road". Read the following extract out loud, pay attention to the sounds of the words and the rhythm of the writing.
This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.
This quotation reflects the genre of horror because of the horrific image of ".. washing dead man's brains ..out his hair". Also the statement "this is my child" indicates the coldness the father is feeling towards his son because he's afraid to love his child. Also he keeps his emotions to himself to protect the last glimmer of innocence within his son whilst his son is maintaining the father's humanity. The quotation also highlights that the father is constantly protecting his son and its become normal which may suggest that there's violence throughout the book. The statement "this is my child" reflects the theme of friendship and companionship through the use of personal pronoun "my". Also the theme of violence is suggested with the father washing the "dead man's brains out of his hair" . The relationship between father and son is suggested when the father states that "this is my child" this suggests that he feels responsible for his child and that its his "job" to protect him. Also it indicates that throughout the novel McCarthy doesn't highlight any emotion from the father or the son to show how every horrific moment they encounter they pretend to be emotionless.
Yes I am, he said. I am the one.
The use of the statement " i am the one" indicates that the son feels that he's the only one who can look after his father and protect him from the violence. Also it could suggest that the boy feels that his dad and himself are the only good people left . Furthmore the son may also feel that in order for his dad to carry on and maintain hope he has to too and without him his father would lose his humanity. This links with the theme of companionship as the father and son are dependant on each other.
Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.
The listing of the foods suggests how monontonous life has become through the use of short sentences. It also highlights how miserable life has become for them because the only thing that they look forward to is having food to eat in order to survive. This is showing the harsh reality of life for the father and son and that they are finding food to survive but not really enjoying life and seeing the good left in the world. However this could reflect the relief the father is feeling for having found food and that its keeping his son alive.
Are we still the good guys, he said.
This is reflects the innocence within the boy that there's good people and bad people as he doesn't unerstand that people aren't just as simple as that. Also he doesn't realise that good people can be bad aswell and vice versa. Also the fact that he keeps seeking his fathers reassurance reflects the theme of trust as the boy is trusting what his father is telling him about them being the good guys. In addition by his dad saying that him and his son are the good guys he's also justifying it to himself which suggests that he feels guilt for what he's done and that he is starting to not think of himself as good.
We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't.
This indicates the theme of authority because the son doesn't question his father and instead accepts it. This could show that the son is frightenend to go against his fathers decesion as he may be scared by his fathers reaction. This shows how tense the relationship between the father and son. Also when the father loses hope the son keeps him going by controlling the situation which highlights that the son is the fathers source of sanity.
The snow fell nor did it cease to fall.
The snow could be a representation of how life has frozen the humanity within the father and that he's detached himself from his situation to maintain his sanity. The use of pathetic fallacy creates a cold fridgid atmosphere which represents the father and son's relationship as there's no expression of emotion. Also the introducing of the snow is quite abrupt which shows that the snow brings no comfort or joy instead its just another obstacle for survival.
Okay? Okay.
This quotation may show the fathers guilt for the fact that his child is experiencing the violence and reality of the real world. Also it suggests how the father is constantly checking on his son to make sure that he's okay in order to reassure himself that because his son is okay he is okay. This reinterates the theme of dependence as the father is depending on his son to be okay in order for himself to maintain faith and hope. Furthermore it show's how the violence of life has become normal and instead of letting violence faze them they just carry on.
They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and them he handed the boy the pan and soap and he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets and they went back across the yard to the bunker.
The blanket acts as a comfort to the boy and the father as its a source of warmth and comfort. Also the pistol symbolises safety as without it the father feels he can't protect himself and his son. Furthmore the soap could be represent the idea that they are washing away the evidence of their horrific circumstance and their guilt for not helping others. Also the simplicity of their actions creates a sense of peace.
Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth
This suggests that they're almost waiting in anticipation for something or somone to hurt or threaten them. Also the statment ".. minutes of the earth" suggests how time has slowed down just like life for them has slowed and almost merged into one long day full of sorrow and desperation. Also the "silence" suggests how the father and son have disconnected themselvesfrom each other and by doing that the silence is becoming more evident. Furemore it could represent how the fathers mind is full of guilt and desperation and that he doesn't feel at peace.
She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.
The use of personification of the death of his wife being a gift suggests that he's welcoming the realisation of her death as it helps him to heal his sorrow within himself. Also its as if her death was weighing him down so much that he finally feels relief and peace. In addition is suggests that her death was "a gift" as it saved him from losing himself. Furthermore its as if her death has numbed the sadness within him that he doesn't feel anything anymore.
What does these extracts tells us about;
These quotations suggest that the genre of the novel is horror as theres many scenes within the novel that shows shocking images of people dying of starvation. These extracts show themes of dependance, desperation and violence which reinterates the genre of horror. Also the violence within these extracts suggests that there's going to be many other violent circumstances within the novel. In addition it suggests that the structure is chronological as the events happen one and after another. These extracts show how the father and sons relationship is complex as whilst they show no emotion towards eachother there's subtle hints of guilt and realiance. Furthermore the use of dialogue may be used to intrigue the reader to read on and to show the relationship between father and son.
- the type of novel it might be (the genre/s it seems to draw on or fit with)
- the story (what might happen)
- themes (the ideas it might raise)
- characters and relationships
- the way the story might be told.
This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.
This quotation reflects the genre of horror because of the horrific image of ".. washing dead man's brains ..out his hair". Also the statement "this is my child" indicates the coldness the father is feeling towards his son because he's afraid to love his child. Also he keeps his emotions to himself to protect the last glimmer of innocence within his son whilst his son is maintaining the father's humanity. The quotation also highlights that the father is constantly protecting his son and its become normal which may suggest that there's violence throughout the book. The statement "this is my child" reflects the theme of friendship and companionship through the use of personal pronoun "my". Also the theme of violence is suggested with the father washing the "dead man's brains out of his hair" . The relationship between father and son is suggested when the father states that "this is my child" this suggests that he feels responsible for his child and that its his "job" to protect him. Also it indicates that throughout the novel McCarthy doesn't highlight any emotion from the father or the son to show how every horrific moment they encounter they pretend to be emotionless.
Yes I am, he said. I am the one.
The use of the statement " i am the one" indicates that the son feels that he's the only one who can look after his father and protect him from the violence. Also it could suggest that the boy feels that his dad and himself are the only good people left . Furthmore the son may also feel that in order for his dad to carry on and maintain hope he has to too and without him his father would lose his humanity. This links with the theme of companionship as the father and son are dependant on each other.
Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.
The listing of the foods suggests how monontonous life has become through the use of short sentences. It also highlights how miserable life has become for them because the only thing that they look forward to is having food to eat in order to survive. This is showing the harsh reality of life for the father and son and that they are finding food to survive but not really enjoying life and seeing the good left in the world. However this could reflect the relief the father is feeling for having found food and that its keeping his son alive.
Are we still the good guys, he said.
This is reflects the innocence within the boy that there's good people and bad people as he doesn't unerstand that people aren't just as simple as that. Also he doesn't realise that good people can be bad aswell and vice versa. Also the fact that he keeps seeking his fathers reassurance reflects the theme of trust as the boy is trusting what his father is telling him about them being the good guys. In addition by his dad saying that him and his son are the good guys he's also justifying it to himself which suggests that he feels guilt for what he's done and that he is starting to not think of himself as good.
We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't.
This indicates the theme of authority because the son doesn't question his father and instead accepts it. This could show that the son is frightenend to go against his fathers decesion as he may be scared by his fathers reaction. This shows how tense the relationship between the father and son. Also when the father loses hope the son keeps him going by controlling the situation which highlights that the son is the fathers source of sanity.
The snow fell nor did it cease to fall.
The snow could be a representation of how life has frozen the humanity within the father and that he's detached himself from his situation to maintain his sanity. The use of pathetic fallacy creates a cold fridgid atmosphere which represents the father and son's relationship as there's no expression of emotion. Also the introducing of the snow is quite abrupt which shows that the snow brings no comfort or joy instead its just another obstacle for survival.
Okay? Okay.
This quotation may show the fathers guilt for the fact that his child is experiencing the violence and reality of the real world. Also it suggests how the father is constantly checking on his son to make sure that he's okay in order to reassure himself that because his son is okay he is okay. This reinterates the theme of dependence as the father is depending on his son to be okay in order for himself to maintain faith and hope. Furthermore it show's how the violence of life has become normal and instead of letting violence faze them they just carry on.
They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and them he handed the boy the pan and soap and he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets and they went back across the yard to the bunker.
The blanket acts as a comfort to the boy and the father as its a source of warmth and comfort. Also the pistol symbolises safety as without it the father feels he can't protect himself and his son. Furthmore the soap could be represent the idea that they are washing away the evidence of their horrific circumstance and their guilt for not helping others. Also the simplicity of their actions creates a sense of peace.
Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth
This suggests that they're almost waiting in anticipation for something or somone to hurt or threaten them. Also the statment ".. minutes of the earth" suggests how time has slowed down just like life for them has slowed and almost merged into one long day full of sorrow and desperation. Also the "silence" suggests how the father and son have disconnected themselvesfrom each other and by doing that the silence is becoming more evident. Furemore it could represent how the fathers mind is full of guilt and desperation and that he doesn't feel at peace.
She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.
The use of personification of the death of his wife being a gift suggests that he's welcoming the realisation of her death as it helps him to heal his sorrow within himself. Also its as if her death was weighing him down so much that he finally feels relief and peace. In addition is suggests that her death was "a gift" as it saved him from losing himself. Furthermore its as if her death has numbed the sadness within him that he doesn't feel anything anymore.
What does these extracts tells us about;
These quotations suggest that the genre of the novel is horror as theres many scenes within the novel that shows shocking images of people dying of starvation. These extracts show themes of dependance, desperation and violence which reinterates the genre of horror. Also the violence within these extracts suggests that there's going to be many other violent circumstances within the novel. In addition it suggests that the structure is chronological as the events happen one and after another. These extracts show how the father and sons relationship is complex as whilst they show no emotion towards eachother there's subtle hints of guilt and realiance. Furthermore the use of dialogue may be used to intrigue the reader to read on and to show the relationship between father and son.
- the type of novel it might be (the genre/s it seems to draw on or fit with)
- the story (what might happen)
- themes (the ideas it might raise)
- characters and relationships
- the way the story might be told.
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