"The Road" LRB #1

The Road

By: Cormac McCarthy

Within the novel, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, there are only two main characters; neither of which have a name and are only referred to as “the boy” and “Papa.” With a father and son duo one would suspect that the father would take the paternal role throughout; however, this is not the case in this novel. Papa, in the beginning, is not well; the reader is notified of his sickly condition right off which foreshadows his death at the end.

As Papa’s character developments throughout the novel he is enveloped with paranoia of being followed. This is evident in the underground scene with the dog; Papa and his son have found their safe haven (the bunker full of food and water) but upon hearing a dog are “forced” to leave. Later we are revealed that is paranoia is not false because they were being followed, or one could say stalked, by the family that takes the boy in the end. Papa would be a round character as well as dynamic because not only does he change he makes a full metamorphosis into what he does not want to become; he contemplates cannibalism, comes close to suicide and in the end dies peacefully with his son.

The boy, on the other hand, is very flat and static. The boy is consistent throughout the novel in maintaining “the fire” which, for him, never goes out. He continuously fights the battle of being one of the good guys or not. As the book progresses the boy never changes and wants ever so much to believe in his Papa and think that he is still good; when in reality his corruption creeps upon him more and more each day.

The ending of the book hangs tight to me. The father dies and the boy is forced to go along with a strange family and we do not know if he is a victim of cannibalism or if he prospers. The reader can think whatever they want; however, in a world where everyone of for themselves one could almost bet cannibalism consumed the boy and he is no more.