Literature Ananlysis #2

                                                         
1: The novel begins with a vivid description of the cold dark bleak barren post apocalyptic world the man and the boy find themselves in. In order to survive the harsh freezing ashy winter, the man and the boy must head south. The path the duo must take to head south is the road, a seemingly endless highway filled with danger at every corner, including boters small war bands and even cannibals. The man and the boy struggle everyday just to not die of hunger and thirst. As they progress through their journey they encounter horrible experiences that will scar them for the rest of their lives. For example the boy gets a knife to his throat carried by a man part of a small army band. The boys father shoots the man but leaves his son very traumatized. Another gruesome scene they encounter is they see a group of people trapped in a basement half chopped up waiting to be eaten by other people. However, even the gruesome scenes they encounter and the dangerous experiences they face are nothing compared to the constant pains of starvation they face nearly every day. Only their love for each other brings the man and his so back from the brink of death and allows both of them to continue fighting on. Eventually the journey takes them south to a beach. At the beach the mans health decreases quick most likely from the cool ocean breeze. The boy realizes his father doesn't have much time and begins to mentally prepare for life after his death. After a long journey of numerous miles the fateful day comes where the man can't continue on. The boy is devastated and pleads to die with his father, however the man doesn't allow it saying he'll keep living in the desolate world. When the boy asks how, the man reveals to him that he has the fire inside him that will keep him going. After his death, the boy continues sorrowfully until he gets accepted in a small community where he most likely survived. The man did his job and made big sacrifices in order for his son to survive and it paid off.

2: I believe the theme of this novel was you must find your inner fire in order to keep walking the road. What this means, in life there will be obstacles, troubles, times when you feel insignificant, lonely and you'll wish to hide and escape from life. The thing that will help you overcome these troubles must be your inner fire. Your inner fire can be anything, a person, a religion, a philosophy, a job, a sport, a hobby. An inner life is anything that you love that will wake you up in the morning and make you feel happy to feel alive. It's essential for all people to find their own fire so they cannot get discouraged or frightened by life and all its troubles in order to continue walking on the metaphorical road of life. Cormac McCarthy chose this theme as a way to inspire or encourage people to keep moving forward. Furthermore Cormac McCarthy doesn't want us to lose this inner fire or else we will stop moving forward or maybe even backward on the road.

3: The protagonist of the book is the man. He is a static character. From the start of the novel until the day of his death the man is a cautious paranoid, loving, sacrificing to his boy. I believe he had to keep these characteristics because without them both would have perished in their journey. The man saved them from multiple situations by having these characteristics. Another major character is the boy. The boy is the man's son and he is the reason the man never gives up. The boy I believe is a dynamic character, he matures throughout the novel and begins to realize just how cruel people can be. He learns to accept suffering is a part of their lives and uses what he learned from his father to keep moving forward.

4: The symbol of this book as I said before is the fire. In a literal sense the fire is what keeps the man and boy alive with its heat and warmth. The fire also represent the inner drive, determination, and love that keeps the man and boy able to survive. In the novel the fire is used to express the love between father and son and how they are the only light they see in a cold hopeless, post apocalyptic world.

5: The book appealed to me with positive reviews from my classmates. They recommended it to me. The man and boys determination and heart made me continue reading this novel. I felt inspired by their battles and wanted to find out if their struggles paid off.

6: I found numerous connections in the novel. I connected the road with life itself and fire with our dreams and passions. I believed the man strongly resembled my grandfather. They were both cautious but also caring to those that they loved. Both also were extremely sacrificial my grandpa has given everything to his children and grandchildren. The boy represented any child because he was curious and had an unnatural optimism of the world. I believe every child is born with this but is lost at innocence in life.

7: I will always remember the idea of the inner fire that we all must carry. I will use this to continue on in life and overcome any obstacles I will face. Here is a passage of the man on his deathbed.
"Is it real? The Fire?
Yes it is.
Where is it? I don't know where it is?
Yes you do. It's inside of you. It was always there. I can see it."