The role of the woman

Page. 17-'From daydreams on the road there was no waking...freeze this frame,now call down your dark and your cold and be dammed'.

The man remembers her positively from the memories he thinks about at the beginning of his journey, but wishes to freeze the frame, indicating a change in her. He wants to stop the darkness and bad memories seeping through.

Page. 54- 'The clocks stopped at 1:17....what is happening'.
The man is more astute than the woman and knows something bad is approaching when the clocks stop. He knows the water may then stop, which is why he runs a bath to collect the remaining water. Although the women is completely unaware at what is happening and doesn't understand why the man has filled the bath or is checking the light switch in order to see if the electricity is still working. The act that the man does not immediately tell the woman whats happening is because he knows that the news will effect her more than him.

Page. 56- 'He thought about the picture in the road.....you mean you wish that you were dead.'
The woman was described as the beginning as being loved by both the boy and man, even though she is dead. The man keeps a picture of his wife in his wallet and always has flash backs to her,and even calls her name in his sleep. Additionally the boy claims that he wishes he was still with his mom. The woman had a major role in the outlook the characters had on life because they missed her and wanted her back, so did that mean that they wanted to die so they could be with her, and if so, that would then effect their journey on the road.

Page.57- 'What in God's name are you talking about? We're not survivors. we're the walking dead in a horror film..The one thing i can tell you is that you won't survive for yourself.'
Page. 60- 'She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.....shes gone isn't she? And he said yes, she is.'

At this point in the play the man choices to remember the moment when the woman told him she was going to take her own life because she could not face the torment of waiting for death. She tells him to think of her as a 'faithless slut' because she wants to make if easier for him, and claims she has taken a new lover in death. The woman says that the only reason any of them were alive was because of the boy and the family the were, but she had now decided that they were  not enough to keep her alive and therefore she must take her own life. The woman could be seen in two different ways in this section, because the subject of suicide in its self is a controversial topic, but also for the way she goes about explaining her reasoning to the man, and how her personality changes. The woman could be seen as weak and selfish for the fact that she believes her and the boy will get raped, eaten, and killed and she is prepared to take her on life because she doesn't want to wait for death. But the way the woman goes about it could in fact be seen as a very brave, selfless thing. The woman identifies that there are only 2 bullets left in the gun, meaning if there comes a point where they all want to die, they might not be able to because they only have 2 bullets left. She is preventing the man having to choose between the boy and herself. Additionally, an integral part of her suicide that could be seen as selfless was how she deal with and told the man what she was going to do. 'she was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift', was how the man described his wife's death, which is almost comforting to himself and the reader. She chose to make the man hate her before she died, because then once she was gone, he would not mourn as greatly for her, and the boy and man could continue on there journey. She was kind.

How does McCarthy tell he story in pages 1-28?

McCarthy begins the novel as he continues it throughout, with little punctuation and speech marks indicating the sparseness of the post-apocalyptic world they are living/surviving in, and writing with a typical American style of writing, where McCarthy uses words such as 'blacktop'. The lacking commas and long sentences in his prose, which represents the barrenness of the landscapes they're travelling on. The man and the boy, who are never named at all in the novel, travel on a desolate road without coming into contact with any other person or being, this continues for the entirety of the introduction pages, 1-28.

Cormac opens the novel with the man waking from a dream about wandering into a cave, being led by his son, 'Like pilgrims in a fable swallowed up and lost among the inward parts of some granitic beast'. The first thing the man did was to feel if his son was still alive, 'his hand rose and fell softly with each precious breath'. This is portraying the fact that life was being precious, and the boy was very important to him,the fact that the two protagonists are 'each others worlds entire', but the darkness as ever looming over them, 'nights dark beyond darkness'. The characters are all alone in this, 'Barran, silent, godless', world, and was even unsure of the month they were in, representing the time scale in which they had been travelling and that there was no real importance of time in their world. All of this is an integral way to McCarthy telling the story because he is showing the reader the importance of the boy to him, the life the boy still has left, the importance of the man protecting him and also the extreme dystopian world the protagonist are living in. Colour imagery is lacking, 'alabaster' and the positivity in the world and from the man is almost drained, 'if he is not the word of God God never spoke'.

As mentioned in the previous paragraph god is referenced in the beginning 28 pages, and religious imagery has an important role in telling the story,'oh God he whispered, oh God', and like Jesus in the bible who dies in order to save the human race, the boy is used as a religious allegory. As the story progresses we realise that the man has lost all real belief in God and being saved and his only real hope and belief is in the boy, who always is positive and looks after him throughout the novel. The boy is the mans 'warrant'.

Another particular theme which is important and arises more than once is the idea of death, which looms over both of their heads because they know who this world can and has consumed so many people, including the mans wife and the boys mother. Both characters miss the women, who is also never named, and the man reminisces about her throughout the 28 pages, 'in dreams his pale bride came to him  out of a green leaf of canopy'. These are happy memories he has of her, remembered her beauty, describing the colours of her clothes and the romantic feelings she made him feel. However these flashbacks were brief and over time came to an end. Love is also relevant to describing these flashbacks and a similar theme of the novel, because although death and loneliness is surrounding them everyday, both protagonists feel love for one another and for the women. The reason the man is still alive is purely for the boy, and the boy shows his compassion through trying to care for the man,' i want you to drink it'.

As mentioned in the reminiscing of the women, the man also reminisces on his past, happier life, such as his time spent on the lake fishing with his uncle, 'There was a lake a Mile from his uncle's farm where he and his uncle used to go in the fall for firewood', he also visits his old family house, 'he felt with his thumb in the painted wood of the mantle the pinholes from tracks that held his stockings forty years ago'. The two protagonists also discover a coke can in an abandoned supermarket and the man is reminded of the fizzing taste he once took for granted, which is a juxtaposition to the boy who had never experienced the taste of coke before. All of these situations also portray the changes that have happened in the generation gap between the man and boy, and the way the man describes them, it seems as if these experiences will never happen for the boy. 

Representing the feel of the entire novel- the eerie atmosphere of their surroundings whilst they are travelling. 

Representing the relationship between the man and boy.

Also linking to the man remembering his wife.

Post- Apocalyptic literature 

The road begins in media res, therefore describing a post- apocalyptic narrative. Cormac illuminates specific narratives within the novel. A few of these narratives are listed below:

1. Mythologising of the past

'There is a lake a mile from his uncle's farm where he and his uncle used to go in the fall for firewood'- This quote is when the man and boy visit the uncles old house and he is reminiscing the happy memories he experienced with his uncle. 
'In dreams his pale bride came to him out of a green and leafy canopy...she wore a dress of gauze and her dark hair..'- The man us remembering his wife with fond romantic memories, describing her beauty with colour imagery. However, these memories change as the story progresses at the man remembers events that were more recent and those memories are dark and ones that make the man want to forget her rather than remember her. Although he does describe her final action of killing herself as, 'her final gift', because although she left the boy and man behind, because of the cruel manner in which she did it, made it easier for them to move on.
'They walked through the diningroom'- The man has travelled back to his fathers old house where he grew up, and is showing and telling the boy all about the happy memories he had in that house. However, he is telling them in a way that portrays the boy may never experience the joys of a happy family, care free childhood that he had. 
'Perhaps the last can of coke in the world'- The can of coke symbolises an artifact from a former civilisation, a mysterious object that was once a common product in the mans early life, is now a delicacy to the boy, which also symbolises the generation gap between the characters. The world the characters are living in and the situations they are facing, are making them look to the past more because if momentarily makes them forget about the horrors they are seeing and cant escape from.

• The thoughts and actions of survivors are what counts.

'Raised the lever to stop the tub and the turned on both taps as far as they would go'- From the beginning of the story we are aware that the man has survival instincts. When the clocks and electricity stops he immediately fills the bath up with water. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the water stopped running and they would be in danger of dehydration. 
'the thief, bent over the loaded cart...when he saw the pistol he stepped back...I'm going to leave you the way you left us.'- The man had no choice but to leave the man where he stood. He took his clothes and shoes and left him naked in the road, because, like the man said, that was how the thief had left them. He had taken everything so the man took everything of his. The man knew the thief was going to die and so did the boy, but he could not help him. The thief was an outcast from one of the commones, and had his fingers cut off which could only mean that he was a a monster that they couldn't trust, which subsequently mean the man couldn't trust him either.  
'Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it'- Those who were trying to survive in this decaying, desolate world we 'borrowing time'. This quote describes the characters lives, because although they were alive, they shouldn't be. An apocalypse had happened, whipping out most of the human race, so why were they alive? why had God let them live? They were borrowing time from those who hadn't survived. 
The man and the women's attitude and actions towards the situation they found themselves in early on in the story  were completely opposite. As soon as the clocks and electricity stopped, the man immediately filled the bath with water because he knew something bad was approaching, however the women still was unaware about what was happening. The man clearly has survival skills and instincts which is a complete juxtaposition to the women failure attitude, 'we are not survivors, I will get killed raped and eaten, and so will the boy'. This is subsequently why the women kills himself and why the man refuses to give up.

• Marauding gangs of bandits.

'The reptilian calculations in those cold and shifting eyes'- This 'roadrat' was the first contact with another human being the characters had had for almost a year. Although the road rat is not a gang, he is a bandit who was willing to kill of kidnap the boy to get what he wanted. The world they live in is not safe, not even from the human race themselves. People are turning against each other in order to survive. This character of the road rat and this scene in particular is also where the reader may start to question the morals of the man, because he shoots the road rat in the head. Many may argue that he was just protecting his son, but was there not another way, or is he turning into someone like the road rat? Is he really a better human being or is he the same. 

The boy and man come across an approaching party of people, who seem to be holding clubs and walking in bio hazard suits and a truck just following behind, the man attempts to find some information about the people but the man he speaks to does not believe he will shoot him and lunges for the boy, 'the confrontation comes to a nasty climax when the man dives for the boy'. He soon found out that the people in hazard suits were in fact children. This is a perfect example of the of the loss of humanity that has occurred within the human race. 

'Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands'- The man and boy come across a house when they have run out of food and are desperate for supplies so they enter this house, which they know is highly dangerous but they are almost at the brink of starvation. The house has signs of occupation and when they go down into the cellar to see human livestock they realise they have come across a gang who are eating their way through a store of human beings. Pure cannibalism portraying the human race has reached breaking point. This, and many other gangs like this one have no mercy, the man and boy are not safe in this house.

Introduction pages 1-28 

Key feature	Example
Use of language	"Glaucoma"- The dimming of the light represents the dimming of the hope and human morality within the characters eyes. Additionally throughout the novel, linking to the deterioration of the man's health.
Sentence structure	The lack of punctuation and speech marks McCarthy uses is an indicator of a deteriorating, decaying society all merging into one. However the repeated use of full stops, creating short, concise sentences makes the story more dramatic to the reader.
Tone	"Night dark behind darkness"- McCarthy sets the story in a post-apocalyptic distopia, portraying the tone as a melancholy brooding effect.
Characterisation	"Each the others world entire"- The two characters of the boy and man only have each other throughout their journey and in the entire world. they can only trust each other, anyone else could be a potential threat. The reader feels a sense of loneliness and complete reliance between the characters. The man has to check that his son is still breathing and there is still life in the world by feeling his breath whilst he sleeps, "His hand rose and fell softly with each precious breath", the boys life is precious, and if te an does not protect him then who will? The man is uncertain if there is a God in this world because of all the destruction and terror he has experienced.
Narrative	The story is based on the man looking back on his life, the happy memories he had with his Uncle on his farm, fishing on the lake nearby. The man also re-visits the house he once used to live at and tries to call his father and stops himself, because he is afraid there will be no reply. He talks about his wife at the beginning of the book with happy, romantic memories, these however, soon turn sore. McCormac is trying to show the readers the message that the man is trying to show his boy, that there is nothing of the real world, and his old life left, and nothing will ever be the same again. The world is empty just like his father's house.
Time	Time is never identified specifically, however we are aware that time is passing because the characters go to sleep and wake up when the sun is rising, "he woke before dawn and watched the grey day break". We are also aware that the characters must have been travelling for a long time when the man mentions he is unaware what month it is, "He thought the month was October but he wasn't sure. He hadn't kept a diary for years." Time is identified as not  necessity for them to survive in the post- apocalyptic world they are currently living in.
Imagery	"If he is not the word of God God never spoke"- Religious references are mentioned throughout the first section of the book where the man is still believing in God but the only way the man believes he could be saved is if the boy leads him to his death, making the boy the messenger from God.

Symbolism

McCormac is writing as American literature ad we can see this from the words he uses such as, "Black top". He is also symbolising the American dream within the novel as a primary part of the story,"like pilgrims in a fable". The are travelling, like pilgrims to find peace and hope and hopefully find the "good guys" so they can be at one with God once again.  McCarthy also makes the reader award that the man is always checking a mirror attached to his GROCERY CART to see if anything is following them, "knapsack" (a motorcyclist mirror), this symbolises danger, and the approaching gloom that the man knows is looming over their heads.

Images that remind me of the novel:

TASK 2:
5+5=1

•  McCarthy has taken low cultured, low budget films with simplistic and repetitive story lines and incorporated the themes into this novel.
• He uses simplistic language structure and then incorporates complicated vocabulary.
• There are religious aspects within the storyline, ‘pilgrims’, Christianity, 'the child is his warrant' who he wants to take him to his death.
•  Something dangerous is following them and the two characters of a father and son have to keep travelling. A pilgrimage to death. 
• The novel is set in a post apocalyptic world, and the characters are trying to escape the peril and great death on their own terms. 

1. low-cultured 
2. punctuation 
3. religious
4. escape
5. death.

1. Post-apocalypitc 

TASK 1- Expectations from quotations

The ’type’ and ‘genre’ of this novel is a horror set in a post-apocalyptic world and identified as a low cultured film, inspired by the cold war, with the threat of nuclear Armageddon. ‘This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job’, this quote helps us to identify the basic storyline and theme of this novel, potentially having death arise on more than one occasion. The world they live in is potentially unsafe, ‘Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth’¸ and these two characters were the last two left, ‘She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift.’ The characterisation of a father and his son, have experienced the theme of death, and are now travelling on a journey down what seems to be a never ending road, to flee from the threat of something dangerous, ‘Are we still the good guys, he said.’ ‘They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and then 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’, this quote identifies the characters to be acting as equals to one another, as opposed to father in charge of the sun, and ‘Okay? Okay,’ expresses the exhaustion and theme of a never ending struggle for pilgrimage that the characters have no need for pleasantries. Cormac McCarthy uses almost simplistic content, grammar and punctuation, however enhances the story with extravagant words such as ‘glaucoma’, to make you want to carry on reading.