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