Imagery In The Road By Cormac Mccarthy

Cormac McCarthy’s novel, The Road, follows a father and son on their journey through a post apocalyptic world. Throughout this journey, the man and his child are faced with many challenges and obstacles that they must overcome in order to survive. These obstacles consist of cannibals, food scarcity, and even harsh outdoor environments. One theme that is heavily presented throughout the duration of this novel is that death is inevitable. McCarthy often uses imagery to show death, whether that be through the horrific and detailed descriptions of the corpses or through the destroyed and ash-filled climates. Imagery is a crucial part of every novel; it helps readers to better understand the conditions in which the characters are living in. McCarthy uses imagery within this novel to show that death is universally present through every decision that these characters make. One example of this is when the text states, “The dead grass thrashed softly. Out there gray desolation. The endless seacrawl. ‘Do you think there are any people on the boat, Papa?’” (McCarthy 221). This imagery is evidence that the boy and his father are constantly aware of issues that each task may bring, even if the environment seems to be quiet and free of danger. The father has taught the boy to be cautious of all people due to the fact that when

Our protagonists run out of food on multiple occasions leaving them malnourished and exhausted, after not eating for days on end, the man and his child look physically unwell. Imagery is being used to show this when the text states, “So white. Knobby spine bones. Razorous shoulder blades sawing under pale skin” (McCarthy 218). To survive and endure within this world you need to be conscious and ready to fight through anything, when one is starving they often lack the energy needed in order to fend for