Wednesday, 23 November 2011
The Road - Ending in 25 words.
A contrast in comparison to the novel as a whole. Cliché but heart warming. Finally drains emotions & brings out beauty & hope after a journey without.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
The Road - Aspects Of Narrative.
The First 28 Pages.
BEGINNING
- In the first 28 pages we are introduced to 4 threads of narrative, the man, the boy, the wife and the Earth.
- The beginning of this novel sets the scene and also introduces the genre of horror that follows through the novel. "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more grey each one that what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world" It introduces the reader to the type of novel they're reading and what style of language they will be reading.
- The reader is introduced to the theme of religion and god. "If he is not the word of God God never spoke"
- The reader is also introduced to the relationship of father and son and we establish the bond between them. We learn that the narrator does not address the man as 'Father' or 'Dad'. We feel that the man doesn't feel he is worthy of the title 'Father'.
ENDING
-The end of the first 28 pages sets up a lot of questions that should be answered, but in this novel they are not "Can you do it? when the time comes? can you?" Us as readers want to connect and be drawn into the novel and to do this McCarthy tricks you into thinking you're going to eventually find out the answers. We wonder where they are, what has happened and who they are.
- We also experience a flashback. We are told about some of the things that happened in the road a few years back. "In those first years the roads were peopled with refugees shrouded up in their clothing. Wearing masks and goggles" It's showing us that awful things happened on the roads a few years ago and sets us up for more bad events to take place. It sets the genre
CHARACTERIZATION
- We experience some dialogue. We realise that along with the setting being bland and dull, the conversation also follows.
- The very first sentence in the novel shows the affection the man has to the child "he'd reach out and touch the child behind him" Although throughout the novel the man doesn't show much emotion and affection towards the boy this shows that he does care. The only reason he is carrying on with the journey is for his sake. This is proven when the boy asks "What would you do if I died? If you died I would die too. So you could be with me? Yes. So I could be with you" The boy is his motivation, his light at the end of the tunnel and all he wants is to make him happy, to make himself worthy of the child, but he feels he has let him down.
- Following this, "His hand rose and feel softly with each precious breath" A description of the man that we would not expect after reading the rest of the novel. Our vision of the man is a very hard faced, strong headed and tough guy. (The total opposite of that quote) But this shows that under his hard face he is just like a normal father trying to protect his son and does have emotions.
- The boy is portrayed as a quite figure that's always in the shadow of the man. He's very inquisitive. "What are you doing?" "Can I see?" What would you do if I died?" It shows how confused he is about the whole situation. He knows it's not normal but his father acts like it is.
SETTING
- In the first sentence the word "Dark" i used, this tells us automatically the surroundings are not scenic ones. This sets the tone of the novel right from the start.
-"Everything paling away into the murk" Every things disappearing under ash and any sign of hope is fading away, this could also include the man and the boy, through the journey the fathers hope and faith runs thin and pales away.
- The settings are described very dull to go along with the horror theme. "The city was mostly burned. No sign of life" Although McCarthy describes the city being burnt he says "mostly" I think this shows that although there is nothing else showing signs of hope there is still the man and son keeping the human race alive.
"As far as they could see was burned away" All his past memories are burnt, there’s no way of retrieving them or rescuing them they're all gone. In the future all the boys past memories will be this experience.
"The mummied dead everywhere" There is no positive outcome wherever they arrive; death just follows them, like it's waiting for them itself.
JOURNEY
-Their journey never seems to improve; they're on one massive journey towards south. We have hope that the man and his son will arrive safely and there will be something there when they have reached their destination, this grips us onto the story and we connect with it. There journey moves quite quickly as most of the time each separate paragraph is them either walking along the road or at a different location. It's an endless journey for them.
TIME
- "The minutes of the earth and the hours of the days of it and the years without cease" This shows us that they feel time has just formed into one and they have lost track of it, they don't care for it. They have nothing to attend or nowhere to be for a certain time so why should it matter? Something as simple as knowing the time has erased from their lives.
BEGINNING
- In the first 28 pages we are introduced to 4 threads of narrative, the man, the boy, the wife and the Earth.
- The beginning of this novel sets the scene and also introduces the genre of horror that follows through the novel. "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more grey each one that what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world" It introduces the reader to the type of novel they're reading and what style of language they will be reading.
- The reader is introduced to the theme of religion and god. "If he is not the word of God God never spoke"
- The reader is also introduced to the relationship of father and son and we establish the bond between them. We learn that the narrator does not address the man as 'Father' or 'Dad'. We feel that the man doesn't feel he is worthy of the title 'Father'.
ENDING
-The end of the first 28 pages sets up a lot of questions that should be answered, but in this novel they are not "Can you do it? when the time comes? can you?" Us as readers want to connect and be drawn into the novel and to do this McCarthy tricks you into thinking you're going to eventually find out the answers. We wonder where they are, what has happened and who they are.
- We also experience a flashback. We are told about some of the things that happened in the road a few years back. "In those first years the roads were peopled with refugees shrouded up in their clothing. Wearing masks and goggles" It's showing us that awful things happened on the roads a few years ago and sets us up for more bad events to take place. It sets the genre
CHARACTERIZATION
- We experience some dialogue. We realise that along with the setting being bland and dull, the conversation also follows.
- The very first sentence in the novel shows the affection the man has to the child "he'd reach out and touch the child behind him" Although throughout the novel the man doesn't show much emotion and affection towards the boy this shows that he does care. The only reason he is carrying on with the journey is for his sake. This is proven when the boy asks "What would you do if I died? If you died I would die too. So you could be with me? Yes. So I could be with you" The boy is his motivation, his light at the end of the tunnel and all he wants is to make him happy, to make himself worthy of the child, but he feels he has let him down.
- Following this, "His hand rose and feel softly with each precious breath" A description of the man that we would not expect after reading the rest of the novel. Our vision of the man is a very hard faced, strong headed and tough guy. (The total opposite of that quote) But this shows that under his hard face he is just like a normal father trying to protect his son and does have emotions.
- The boy is portrayed as a quite figure that's always in the shadow of the man. He's very inquisitive. "What are you doing?" "Can I see?" What would you do if I died?" It shows how confused he is about the whole situation. He knows it's not normal but his father acts like it is.
SETTING
- In the first sentence the word "Dark" i used, this tells us automatically the surroundings are not scenic ones. This sets the tone of the novel right from the start.
-"Everything paling away into the murk" Every things disappearing under ash and any sign of hope is fading away, this could also include the man and the boy, through the journey the fathers hope and faith runs thin and pales away.
- The settings are described very dull to go along with the horror theme. "The city was mostly burned. No sign of life" Although McCarthy describes the city being burnt he says "mostly" I think this shows that although there is nothing else showing signs of hope there is still the man and son keeping the human race alive.
"As far as they could see was burned away" All his past memories are burnt, there’s no way of retrieving them or rescuing them they're all gone. In the future all the boys past memories will be this experience.
"The mummied dead everywhere" There is no positive outcome wherever they arrive; death just follows them, like it's waiting for them itself.
JOURNEY
-Their journey never seems to improve; they're on one massive journey towards south. We have hope that the man and his son will arrive safely and there will be something there when they have reached their destination, this grips us onto the story and we connect with it. There journey moves quite quickly as most of the time each separate paragraph is them either walking along the road or at a different location. It's an endless journey for them.
TIME
- "The minutes of the earth and the hours of the days of it and the years without cease" This shows us that they feel time has just formed into one and they have lost track of it, they don't care for it. They have nothing to attend or nowhere to be for a certain time so why should it matter? Something as simple as knowing the time has erased from their lives.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
The Road - Peter Pan In Cormac McCarthy's Style.
You'll never grow up, he said. Never. The ship. The lost boys. Hook. Tolling in the silence. His eyes were deeply sunk with yellowed rims. Every so often a ticking. The crocodile would snap. Hungry. He sat the man down and took the red creased hankie from his hollow pockets he coverd the man's chest with it and took out his razor sharpe knife. He began to cut.
Dont cut to close he said.
I'll try.
Okay.
When finished he got up. He stood peering over the horizon. We must go South he said. He'll be hiding there I know it.
Are you sure?
Yes
Okay
Okay.
He bought in the sail and gatherd the crew. The boy will be found he said. They went on.
They came across what was thought to be a bird. Look he said. The boy. He flew effortlessly through clouds of mist and fog capturing the eyes of many beneath him. He dived. He ducked. He flew. The man watched in dismay.
Are we going to fire captin?
Yes.
The man lit the fuse and watched it burn down. It fired. The boy swerved and it missed.
Oh christ! he said. He fired again. No good. And again. Still no good. The boy flew off into the dreary dark skies. Not again the man said. I'll get him next time he said. Even if it's the last thing I do.
Dont cut to close he said.
I'll try.
Okay.
When finished he got up. He stood peering over the horizon. We must go South he said. He'll be hiding there I know it.
Are you sure?
Yes
Okay
Okay.
He bought in the sail and gatherd the crew. The boy will be found he said. They went on.
They came across what was thought to be a bird. Look he said. The boy. He flew effortlessly through clouds of mist and fog capturing the eyes of many beneath him. He dived. He ducked. He flew. The man watched in dismay.
Are we going to fire captin?
Yes.
The man lit the fuse and watched it burn down. It fired. The boy swerved and it missed.
Oh christ! he said. He fired again. No good. And again. Still no good. The boy flew off into the dreary dark skies. Not again the man said. I'll get him next time he said. Even if it's the last thing I do.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
The Road - The infant on a spit.
This part of the novel shows a role reversal and a switch of characteristics and personality between father and son. The way in which they speak to each other changes. The boy is usually the one asking all the questions and feeling like he's annoying his father, but when they see the baby on the spit it changes and the father is the one asking his son "What is it?" I think this shows how even after all the sights they have seen the father is still unable to come to terms with it and the father is almost asking if it's all real. The father is also the one now apologising, "Im sorry, he wisperd. I'm sorry." This does show i sign of emotion. He feels for his son and apologises as the last thing he wanted was to upset his son. He is also not just apologising for this event but every one that the child has been through and every one that he has to come.
The boy also changes his attitude towards this sight. He says "Oh papa" and usually he would cry or burry his head in his dad, but this time he turns round for another look. The boy is starting to build up his courage and he doesn't break down when incountering something as horrific as this. It also shows how events like this are just becoming the norm to the boy and his father, it's now not an unusual sight to them.
Punctuation is as usual in the novel - very limited. "Headless and gutted and blackening on the spit" There is not use of comma's just repeated use of 'and'. This picks up the pace when you're reading it as the event is supposed to be a traumatic one.
The boy also changes his attitude towards this sight. He says "Oh papa" and usually he would cry or burry his head in his dad, but this time he turns round for another look. The boy is starting to build up his courage and he doesn't break down when incountering something as horrific as this. It also shows how events like this are just becoming the norm to the boy and his father, it's now not an unusual sight to them.
Punctuation is as usual in the novel - very limited. "Headless and gutted and blackening on the spit" There is not use of comma's just repeated use of 'and'. This picks up the pace when you're reading it as the event is supposed to be a traumatic one.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
The Road - Key Episodes
Coming across the man who has been struck by lightening (pp. 50-53)
This episode carries on the theme of selfishness, the man refuses to help the man as he feels he has no way in which to help him, his son on the other hand feels differently. The father only wants whats best for his son and makes them carry on along the road so that he wasn't affected by the site of the burnt man. It proves that the father has absolutely no feelings towards anyone else but his son. "No. we can't help him."He is dedicated to getting him and his son to safety and will not let anything get in the way of that. Maybe the father has been let down by other people and does not want to get attached to this guy to realise he shouldn't have trusted him. He feels it is every man for himself. It does increase tension but you are let down by it as you almost want the burnt man to react to the man and his son, but disappointingly he doesn't. I think this event defiantly makes the father son relationship even more distant, the boy disagrees with his father and their morals clash, causing a bond between father and son to become lose. It also makes the reader prejudge the man as a selfish character, but you could think of it as performing the duty of protecting his son. If this event was in a different novel it wouldn't be seen as big, but it seems as though this is a big event in the novel. It's their first encounter of seeing another human being. Punctuation is very limited and McCarthy has kept it to the basics, as with the story line. The only punctuation used is full stops and question marks. The full stops show the bluntness of the conversation that takes place between father and son "Are you sure? Yes. Okay. Okay". I think the question marks show how confusing the whole situation for both of them is, they're questioning the reality of their lives and don't actually want to believe it's happening. He also doesn't use speech marks when there is dialogue.
Shooting the 'roadrat' (pp. 62-69)
This event is key in the novel as it shows the lengths this man goes to in able to protect his son. It shows that his and his sons survival is all that matters. The shooting of the man is very quick, the paragraph is short and it just gets straight to the point, detail is limited. "Blood bubbling" the use of the letter 'b' twice creates the really gory image of the man in your head, it also drops the monotone that carries on through the whole novel. I think the man thinks he has power and control over everyone, he thinks as he has survived this long he has dominance over anyone they come across. "No you can't. If you look at him again I'll shoot you." He doesn't realise other people are in the same situation he is and thinks he's can rule over it. This episode almost makes you feel happy that another 'bad guy' is dead and out of the picture, you're glad that the boy and man are safe and so you can follow along with a journey that is so out of the ordinary. This event shows a theme of horror/thriller. The short sentences build up the tension. I think this does have an affect on the father and son relationship as the little boy was shook up from this incident, he's naive and doesn't think like his father, their personalities are extremely different. The language is very aggressive building up to the shooting. "Ain't no need to be such a hard-ass" "I think you're chickenshit." Violence is a big theme in the novel, it shows how desperate people get in situations like that.
- finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people (pp. 112-121)
This episode allows the father and his son to reflect on how lucky they are considering the situation in which they are going through, they wouldn't want to be locked in a cellar not knowing whats going to happen or when they will die. The episode is very surreal and has a big impact on the reader, it carries on the theme of horror and also violence. The readers response is very sympathetic towards the man and his son, you have followed them through their journey and us as the readers what to carry on with them so we fear that one or even both of them wont carry on in the novel. The tension builds up as they explore the house, it also builds when they are running away from the house but drops once hid and when the boy falls asleep. In some ways the relationship between father and son is becoming detached but in others it can be seen as the son and father becoming closer. The boys father is his rock and although he is struggling he does what ever he can just to protect his son, it's his duty. Each event that occurs distances' the relationship the boy and his father have, simply due to difference in the way they they think and their morals. On the other hand you could say that it brings their relationship closer as I think the boy knows how lucky he is to have his dad there protecting him, he feels safe and secure when with his father and he trusts him "I wont ever leave you" The little boy is so scared of his father leaving him to struggle on his own but the besides the father having little emotion he does well to comfort his son when needed. McCarthy uses very short sentences in order to build up the tension when exploring the house "Trash piled everywhere. A ruststained sink. Smell of mould and excrement." He also describes things when building up tension, he describes the smell and the sight in great detail, it gives us a better image of the place they're in as us as the readers have never experienced anything like it as the scenario is so surreal.
- the baby on the spit (pp. 210-215)
I think this episode has the most impact on the reader than the others, reading about this surreal experience makes the reader feel uncomfortable, it's an abnormal situation in which most people wouldn't know how they would react. The boy is shocked when he realises what it is and the father is extremely sympathetic towards him and feels like it is his fault, he feels as if he has let his son down and now regrets it, he says "He didn't know if he'd ever speak again." The only thing that is keeping them both sane is each other, and if the man didn't have his son to make small talk with then I think things would go terribly wrong for him. This changes the readers mood and you almost feel depressed, it's discusting to even imagine. I think the relationship is effected as the father feels like he's failed his son once again by letting him see these things. "Im sorry, he wispered. I'm sorry." he feels like he's not doing his duty right even though he's trying his best. The language like with the whole novel is very bland, no emotion, metaphors or similies, but I think this makes it more of a factual novel even though it is fiction, it makes the situation more realistic and helps you visualise it a lot clearer. This episode stands out in the novel as it's a very difficult situation for the reader and the little boy to understand, the young boy doesnt get why theese things have happened and his father doesnt want to be the one to tell him as he doesnt want to be blamed by his son, all he wants is for his son to accept and apriciate what his father is doing for him. The man is almost training the son to be able to cope on his own when/if he is ever left alone to fend for himself, he's explaining to his son to not be frightened but to be brave and accept the situation you're in and that he has to take risks, his father says " Let's take a look.... There's no one here. It's okay." Despite the child not wanting to go and take a look his father refuses not too. I think the father knows how desperate they are for food etc and the little boy has no clue and this worries his father. It could be forshadowing as later on in the novel the father dies and the boy is left alone, he has a pistol and himself, his father can die happily if he knows his son is able to cope without him and be safe.
- getting to the shore (pp. 227 - 230)
This episode is quite dissapointing, the boy was looking forward to a blue see and maybe some hint of life, but once at the shore he discovers that theres no hope in seeing that any time soon. "He looked at the boy. He could see the dissapointment in his face. I'm sorry it's not blue, he said. That's okay,said the boy." The father feels like he has let his son down once again, I also noticed that the man never calls his son "son" or he never says anything that shows he is his son, I think this shows how dissapointed the man is with raising his son, he feels like he doesn't have the right to call him son as he has not performed his duty of a father correctly due to the situations they have been put in.It's very dissapointing for the man and his son once at the coast, this creates sympathy towards them as you thought that they may find some happyness once there. You can tell the desperation they're both in.. "They rummaged through the outbuildings for anything of use" It puts the image of homeless people in your head. It's strange because you get the impression that the father is a very strong willed and proud man, and to have him rummaging through old stuff is a big contrast, this shows their desperation. I think that the father feels that their relationship is now at it's worst as he has let his son down once again, but I think the boy is just happy that his father is there with him and they're at a better place now. It does make the readers mood change as you feel happier they made it safe but you also feel like the jounry built up to something good and then just dropped and you were dissapointed with the outcome for them. This could be a metaphor for the road, the road represents their journey, it's long and dull and there was not really a positive outcome at the end, but the road did help them survive as long as they have in a way. McCarthy also said that "They ate well" But in the next paragraph "They ate more sparingly" this shows how quickly things change for them. Their lives for example changed dramatically very quickly and now the amount of food they have changed quickly. I think this is a key episode as it's something that the whole novel has been building up too, yet it is dissapointing for us the readers and the characters.
- the theft of the man and boy's belongings (pp. 270-278)
This episode brings sympathy and emotion towards the reader. Throught the novel the man has not shown any cracks, he's been rock solid with no emotion, but in this episode it changes, he says "I'm scared. Do you understand? I'm scared." He repeats the word scared twice and it shows the mans despiration. His emotions are coming through. He has tried his best to hide them from his son as he does not want them to transfer to him and impact on his chances of survival without his father. In this episode you also see the father changing his views towards other people in the same situation. "He piled the mans shoes and clothes in the road" Although he was angry and felt betrayed by the theif his son made him give in and he eventually gave in a tried to call the theif back, when he didnt answer he just left his clothes incase the theif returned. I think the man has realised that he's not alone and he has to treat people as he would, I think he has trust issues due to the fact of the situation and that is why he finds it hard to help others. This again shows how different son and fathers personalitys are. Their relationship is torn apart just that bit more once again when the father does something against the boys morals, but it's almost put back together again once the father tries to redeem himself and put his clothes back. The boy see's other peoples points of view and is able to put himself in their shoes, but the father has only one focus - his son. You go through this episode at rapid pace as you're so interested and hooked to want to know what happens, you want to know if they ever get the trolly back and who took it. I wouldn't say it's a tense moment but there is deffinatly relief once the theif is found.
This episode carries on the theme of selfishness, the man refuses to help the man as he feels he has no way in which to help him, his son on the other hand feels differently. The father only wants whats best for his son and makes them carry on along the road so that he wasn't affected by the site of the burnt man. It proves that the father has absolutely no feelings towards anyone else but his son. "No. we can't help him."He is dedicated to getting him and his son to safety and will not let anything get in the way of that. Maybe the father has been let down by other people and does not want to get attached to this guy to realise he shouldn't have trusted him. He feels it is every man for himself. It does increase tension but you are let down by it as you almost want the burnt man to react to the man and his son, but disappointingly he doesn't. I think this event defiantly makes the father son relationship even more distant, the boy disagrees with his father and their morals clash, causing a bond between father and son to become lose. It also makes the reader prejudge the man as a selfish character, but you could think of it as performing the duty of protecting his son. If this event was in a different novel it wouldn't be seen as big, but it seems as though this is a big event in the novel. It's their first encounter of seeing another human being. Punctuation is very limited and McCarthy has kept it to the basics, as with the story line. The only punctuation used is full stops and question marks. The full stops show the bluntness of the conversation that takes place between father and son "Are you sure? Yes. Okay. Okay". I think the question marks show how confusing the whole situation for both of them is, they're questioning the reality of their lives and don't actually want to believe it's happening. He also doesn't use speech marks when there is dialogue.
Shooting the 'roadrat' (pp. 62-69)
This event is key in the novel as it shows the lengths this man goes to in able to protect his son. It shows that his and his sons survival is all that matters. The shooting of the man is very quick, the paragraph is short and it just gets straight to the point, detail is limited. "Blood bubbling" the use of the letter 'b' twice creates the really gory image of the man in your head, it also drops the monotone that carries on through the whole novel. I think the man thinks he has power and control over everyone, he thinks as he has survived this long he has dominance over anyone they come across. "No you can't. If you look at him again I'll shoot you." He doesn't realise other people are in the same situation he is and thinks he's can rule over it. This episode almost makes you feel happy that another 'bad guy' is dead and out of the picture, you're glad that the boy and man are safe and so you can follow along with a journey that is so out of the ordinary. This event shows a theme of horror/thriller. The short sentences build up the tension. I think this does have an affect on the father and son relationship as the little boy was shook up from this incident, he's naive and doesn't think like his father, their personalities are extremely different. The language is very aggressive building up to the shooting. "Ain't no need to be such a hard-ass" "I think you're chickenshit." Violence is a big theme in the novel, it shows how desperate people get in situations like that.
- finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people (pp. 112-121)
This episode allows the father and his son to reflect on how lucky they are considering the situation in which they are going through, they wouldn't want to be locked in a cellar not knowing whats going to happen or when they will die. The episode is very surreal and has a big impact on the reader, it carries on the theme of horror and also violence. The readers response is very sympathetic towards the man and his son, you have followed them through their journey and us as the readers what to carry on with them so we fear that one or even both of them wont carry on in the novel. The tension builds up as they explore the house, it also builds when they are running away from the house but drops once hid and when the boy falls asleep. In some ways the relationship between father and son is becoming detached but in others it can be seen as the son and father becoming closer. The boys father is his rock and although he is struggling he does what ever he can just to protect his son, it's his duty. Each event that occurs distances' the relationship the boy and his father have, simply due to difference in the way they they think and their morals. On the other hand you could say that it brings their relationship closer as I think the boy knows how lucky he is to have his dad there protecting him, he feels safe and secure when with his father and he trusts him "I wont ever leave you" The little boy is so scared of his father leaving him to struggle on his own but the besides the father having little emotion he does well to comfort his son when needed. McCarthy uses very short sentences in order to build up the tension when exploring the house "Trash piled everywhere. A ruststained sink. Smell of mould and excrement." He also describes things when building up tension, he describes the smell and the sight in great detail, it gives us a better image of the place they're in as us as the readers have never experienced anything like it as the scenario is so surreal.
- the baby on the spit (pp. 210-215)
I think this episode has the most impact on the reader than the others, reading about this surreal experience makes the reader feel uncomfortable, it's an abnormal situation in which most people wouldn't know how they would react. The boy is shocked when he realises what it is and the father is extremely sympathetic towards him and feels like it is his fault, he feels as if he has let his son down and now regrets it, he says "He didn't know if he'd ever speak again." The only thing that is keeping them both sane is each other, and if the man didn't have his son to make small talk with then I think things would go terribly wrong for him. This changes the readers mood and you almost feel depressed, it's discusting to even imagine. I think the relationship is effected as the father feels like he's failed his son once again by letting him see these things. "Im sorry, he wispered. I'm sorry." he feels like he's not doing his duty right even though he's trying his best. The language like with the whole novel is very bland, no emotion, metaphors or similies, but I think this makes it more of a factual novel even though it is fiction, it makes the situation more realistic and helps you visualise it a lot clearer. This episode stands out in the novel as it's a very difficult situation for the reader and the little boy to understand, the young boy doesnt get why theese things have happened and his father doesnt want to be the one to tell him as he doesnt want to be blamed by his son, all he wants is for his son to accept and apriciate what his father is doing for him. The man is almost training the son to be able to cope on his own when/if he is ever left alone to fend for himself, he's explaining to his son to not be frightened but to be brave and accept the situation you're in and that he has to take risks, his father says " Let's take a look.... There's no one here. It's okay." Despite the child not wanting to go and take a look his father refuses not too. I think the father knows how desperate they are for food etc and the little boy has no clue and this worries his father. It could be forshadowing as later on in the novel the father dies and the boy is left alone, he has a pistol and himself, his father can die happily if he knows his son is able to cope without him and be safe.
- getting to the shore (pp. 227 - 230)
This episode is quite dissapointing, the boy was looking forward to a blue see and maybe some hint of life, but once at the shore he discovers that theres no hope in seeing that any time soon. "He looked at the boy. He could see the dissapointment in his face. I'm sorry it's not blue, he said. That's okay,said the boy." The father feels like he has let his son down once again, I also noticed that the man never calls his son "son" or he never says anything that shows he is his son, I think this shows how dissapointed the man is with raising his son, he feels like he doesn't have the right to call him son as he has not performed his duty of a father correctly due to the situations they have been put in.It's very dissapointing for the man and his son once at the coast, this creates sympathy towards them as you thought that they may find some happyness once there. You can tell the desperation they're both in.. "They rummaged through the outbuildings for anything of use" It puts the image of homeless people in your head. It's strange because you get the impression that the father is a very strong willed and proud man, and to have him rummaging through old stuff is a big contrast, this shows their desperation. I think that the father feels that their relationship is now at it's worst as he has let his son down once again, but I think the boy is just happy that his father is there with him and they're at a better place now. It does make the readers mood change as you feel happier they made it safe but you also feel like the jounry built up to something good and then just dropped and you were dissapointed with the outcome for them. This could be a metaphor for the road, the road represents their journey, it's long and dull and there was not really a positive outcome at the end, but the road did help them survive as long as they have in a way. McCarthy also said that "They ate well" But in the next paragraph "They ate more sparingly" this shows how quickly things change for them. Their lives for example changed dramatically very quickly and now the amount of food they have changed quickly. I think this is a key episode as it's something that the whole novel has been building up too, yet it is dissapointing for us the readers and the characters.
- the theft of the man and boy's belongings (pp. 270-278)
This episode brings sympathy and emotion towards the reader. Throught the novel the man has not shown any cracks, he's been rock solid with no emotion, but in this episode it changes, he says "I'm scared. Do you understand? I'm scared." He repeats the word scared twice and it shows the mans despiration. His emotions are coming through. He has tried his best to hide them from his son as he does not want them to transfer to him and impact on his chances of survival without his father. In this episode you also see the father changing his views towards other people in the same situation. "He piled the mans shoes and clothes in the road" Although he was angry and felt betrayed by the theif his son made him give in and he eventually gave in a tried to call the theif back, when he didnt answer he just left his clothes incase the theif returned. I think the man has realised that he's not alone and he has to treat people as he would, I think he has trust issues due to the fact of the situation and that is why he finds it hard to help others. This again shows how different son and fathers personalitys are. Their relationship is torn apart just that bit more once again when the father does something against the boys morals, but it's almost put back together again once the father tries to redeem himself and put his clothes back. The boy see's other peoples points of view and is able to put himself in their shoes, but the father has only one focus - his son. You go through this episode at rapid pace as you're so interested and hooked to want to know what happens, you want to know if they ever get the trolly back and who took it. I wouldn't say it's a tense moment but there is deffinatly relief once the theif is found.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
The Road - Quotations
This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.
This quotation shows the type of grim journey father and son have encountered. Shows the genre of the novel as a thriller/mystery/horror. My is a possessive pronoun shows that the child is his possession. Monosyllabic tone to it and has very little punctuation. The man sounds hollow with no emotion towards the child.
Yes I am, he said. I am the one.
The father is letting his child know that he is the only one there to help him. Shows the change in their lives now as before all this occurred the child would have had more people there to have helped him and his father wouldn't have been the only one. Short sentences.
Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.
Shows how the things we take as everyday essentials and don't think to much about eating and having in our cupboards are seen as luxuries to them at the moment. Listing the food items also makes the pace of reading them speed up and it shows the man’s excitement towards having these foods.
Are we still the good guys, he said.
Repetition of the letter "G" when pronounced can sound like the person speaking is worried and chocked up, which the child is. It also creates a childlike image, like there is good and bad guys in a film or a book, like what is happening isn't real. It's so drastic that it just feels like a dream.
We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't.
Papa is a very strong headed man and is clever, he only wants to protect and do what’s best for his son and his son needs to learn have trust in his father. The duologue between father and son is limited, its small talk and I only think they do it just to hear a voice every known and again to stop them going crazy. I think this is because his father is so shocked at the situation he has been put in with his son, he cannot bring himself to talk about it with him, this is not the way he planned to bring his son up into the world, and it’s not your average father and son relationship which he would have much preferred.
The snow fell nor did it cease to fall.
This almost sounds Archaic as it uses the word "Nor". The snow also represents how chilling the novel is. Sympathy is created as we know that the child and his father are walking alone through America in the harshest of weathers.
Okay? Okay.
Again the conversations between father and son are limited and there’s no real emotion shown in it, during the novel there is no deep conversation it's just small talk. The little boy has so many questions about what’s going on and his father never seems interested, he's more focused on reaching the coast in time for winter.
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.
No punctuation used and is a very long sentence which is unusual as the book has many short sentences. You want to follow them and see what their next adventure is going to be and what’s round the corner for them. It's also very coincidental that the father is able to find all this stuff. He's a very cunning and wise man. It also says what nice things they bring over like soap and blankets, but also a pistol. It shows that even when they think they're safe they have to be alert and it creates suspense throughout the novel.
Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth.
Creates a chilling image. Like there is no life on earth and they're the only people to have survived. "Tolling" like they don't know what to do with themselevs. Quite a powerful quotation as it creates sympathy and creates a very lonely image in your head.
She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.
The child’s mother didn't want to be a burden on her husband; she also didn’t want him to witness her being brutally abused and even raped. She thought that if she went away it would be a gift to them as they wouldn’t have to go through seeing that. "Coldness" sums up the whole story, it’s a very cold and grim story and the event of the child’s mum killing herself represents this. It also uses the word "girt" as though it's a happy thing to have given to her child and husband but in fact it's the opposite, as they're now both alone.
This quotation shows the type of grim journey father and son have encountered. Shows the genre of the novel as a thriller/mystery/horror. My is a possessive pronoun shows that the child is his possession. Monosyllabic tone to it and has very little punctuation. The man sounds hollow with no emotion towards the child.
Yes I am, he said. I am the one.
The father is letting his child know that he is the only one there to help him. Shows the change in their lives now as before all this occurred the child would have had more people there to have helped him and his father wouldn't have been the only one. Short sentences.
Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.
Shows how the things we take as everyday essentials and don't think to much about eating and having in our cupboards are seen as luxuries to them at the moment. Listing the food items also makes the pace of reading them speed up and it shows the man’s excitement towards having these foods.
Are we still the good guys, he said.
Repetition of the letter "G" when pronounced can sound like the person speaking is worried and chocked up, which the child is. It also creates a childlike image, like there is good and bad guys in a film or a book, like what is happening isn't real. It's so drastic that it just feels like a dream.
We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't.
Papa is a very strong headed man and is clever, he only wants to protect and do what’s best for his son and his son needs to learn have trust in his father. The duologue between father and son is limited, its small talk and I only think they do it just to hear a voice every known and again to stop them going crazy. I think this is because his father is so shocked at the situation he has been put in with his son, he cannot bring himself to talk about it with him, this is not the way he planned to bring his son up into the world, and it’s not your average father and son relationship which he would have much preferred.
The snow fell nor did it cease to fall.
This almost sounds Archaic as it uses the word "Nor". The snow also represents how chilling the novel is. Sympathy is created as we know that the child and his father are walking alone through America in the harshest of weathers.
Okay? Okay.
Again the conversations between father and son are limited and there’s no real emotion shown in it, during the novel there is no deep conversation it's just small talk. The little boy has so many questions about what’s going on and his father never seems interested, he's more focused on reaching the coast in time for winter.
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.
No punctuation used and is a very long sentence which is unusual as the book has many short sentences. You want to follow them and see what their next adventure is going to be and what’s round the corner for them. It's also very coincidental that the father is able to find all this stuff. He's a very cunning and wise man. It also says what nice things they bring over like soap and blankets, but also a pistol. It shows that even when they think they're safe they have to be alert and it creates suspense throughout the novel.
Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth.
Creates a chilling image. Like there is no life on earth and they're the only people to have survived. "Tolling" like they don't know what to do with themselevs. Quite a powerful quotation as it creates sympathy and creates a very lonely image in your head.
She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.
The child’s mother didn't want to be a burden on her husband; she also didn’t want him to witness her being brutally abused and even raped. She thought that if she went away it would be a gift to them as they wouldn’t have to go through seeing that. "Coldness" sums up the whole story, it’s a very cold and grim story and the event of the child’s mum killing herself represents this. It also uses the word "girt" as though it's a happy thing to have given to her child and husband but in fact it's the opposite, as they're now both alone.
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