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The Main Themes In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

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The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a post apocalyptic story about a father and son’s journey to the south. It is set in mid 20th century America. The desolate land is covered by a thick layer of ashy clouds, causing the temperature to drop. At the start, we find the Father and Son sleeping in a wooded area. They begin their journey on the ash covered road. The pair walks with their cart and sacks for miles upon miles. Stopping only for short nights of sleep or to scavenge for food. Their goal is to make it south, where it is warmer. As they go on, they pass through many small cities and towns, filled with empty aluminum houses, trash, and ash. In one small town, they enter a grocery store. The man finds a can of coke, giving it all to the child to drink. This is the start of the incredible sacrifices the man makes for his son. The main theme of The Road is sacrifice. Each decision that they make greatly affects whether they will live another day. Everyday throughout the book, the man chooses to wake up, dress his son, and give whatever he can to the young boy. It would be easier to take the food and divide it evenly, but that’s not what he did. It would be easier to take the baby roasting on the fire, but that’s not what they did. The man was not about the easy, he was about his son. The Son chose morals, and others over himself. As the book goes on, it becomes more and more clear that all the father cares about is his son. Every action he took was to make sure his son

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