Preview

Symbolism In The Road By Cormac Mccarthy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
406 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Symbolism In The Road By Cormac Mccarthy
“There can be no great courage where there is no confidence or assurance”-Orison Swett Marden. This quote speaks true, that to have courage, we need confidence and assurance. In the book The Road, a symbol often referred to is the father of the son. He represents the idea of an older figurehead helping you along your way, and reassuring you. This symbol also helps a theme function and come up.
In The Road, the two main characters do not have names. They are known only as “the father” and “the boy” or his son. The author, Cormac McCarthy did this on purpose, to make the father a symbol throughout the story. While walking on the road, the father and his son have small conversations, most of which include the boy asking questions about their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the story Road Trip by Gary paulsen and Jim paulsen the authors starts foreshadowing what's going to happen next. An example of foreshadowing is on page (30)and (31) it starts off with “If you’da took care of your vehicle,you wouldn't a wound up with your bottoms in a sling like this,but you can't tell anyone anything these days”.…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the boy works his way to the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The boy grows and progresses through the different levels until a certain event at the end of the novel shows he reaches self-actualization.…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The epitome of society is symbolized by the Widow Douglass’s home. After all, it is there that Huck is forced to wear civilized clothing, eat and speak in a civilized manner, and act civilized in all possible ways. He runs away from this symbol of civilization to the freedom of the river. Then, of course, there is Jim, the symbol of all enslaved people in the South. He is downtrodden, looked down upon by all of the other characters in the book, and desperately seeking his freedom. In contrast to the rest of society, however, he is loyal and honest. Huck Finn, the protagonist of the book, contains an element of symbolism as well. He symbolizes the struggle between a person and his conscience, as well as between society and free-thinking. Throughout…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The road is a dark, gloomy and almost horrific book. At the beginning of the book we start with man, and his young son trying to survive in a dying world. The effects on the characters actions is mostly affected with their new environment.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ability to view an author’s unpublished draft can be described as to viewing the author’s journey can also observe what message is trying to be displayed through the text. Upon observation of The Road and the unpublished draft “The Grail”, I have concluded that there are two key differences that create an concrete analysis of Cormac McCarthy’s progression of his work that show the mother scene shift from mortal anxiety to rationalization of the mother’s actions and reasons for her decisions.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the upcoming essay we’re about to do, I want to explore the ideas of Jack Kerouac's transformation throughout the book. When he wrote “On the Road.” people expect him to be this happy optimistic guy. Jack Kerouac was an example of youth and freedom. To everyone he was this person that changed everyone's life and even made a change to people's viewpoint of literature. He was someone that represented the Beat Generation and was even considered the “King of the Beat Generation”. But soon enough, it turns out that he’s become a whole different person. He has grown to old and can’t keep up with the present day. Someone that has turned tired of the image he has created of himself. An image where he wish he had never created. Jack Kerouac even said to himself, “Some sort of sea beatnik, tho anybody wants to call me a beatnik for THIS better try it if they dare.(27)” To explore the possibility of salvation he has met and to explain the purpose of this book to the audience.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cormac Mccarthy The Road

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages

    looks like yesterday rather than today. They are desolate for a new day and an array of…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In a world where everything has gone to chaos, where there is cannibalism, where food is sacred, and sky is charcoal grey; people will do anything to survive. In order to survive one needs the basic elements: food, water, and shelter. Having others, to help one stay sane; having a sense of direction, in order to know where to go and where not to go: and also knowing who and what to trust is also need in order to survive. In the post-apocalyptic novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, it displays many themes, but the ones that prevails the rest is sense of trust and compassion; whether it be to trust or not to trust, to be compassionate or not. Both the father and son have different views on who to and not to trust, and when to be compassionate…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cormac Mccarthy The Road

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The hope appeared through the integrity of the boy and the endless fire inside the kid spoke to the decency, expectation of humanity. Human love and trust linked to human nature. Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” teaches that we are what this world depends on for light and existence; we are important. The boy and father’s relationship proves that it is possible to have genuine feelings as well as love for others even during such a dark time. “The Road” also instills in us the philosophy of…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In how to read literature like a professor there is a entire chapter dedicated to symbolism. Symbolism is very strongly used throughout the entire novel 'The Road', the road itself being one of the strongest symbols. Throughout the entire novel the road represents hope, if they can find the road they travel along it and feel as if they have a chance, I also feel as if the ocean is a symbol of hope, it keep the going, on a mission.…

    • 299 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The symbolism in “Through the Tunnel” reveals Doris Lessing entertainment purpose to highlight the overcome of fear and inhibition by Jerry. When first looking at the rocks, Jerry thinks to himself “ If he died there…” reveals his fears of inadequacy, and failure. Being sheltered all his life, the first real challenge Jerry is presented he has a feeling of self-doubt. His fears become even more apparent as he thinks of his death and the finding of his body by the “big boys.” Jerry’s journey of overcoming his fears and inhibitions only begin when “He could see the hole…” In a symbolic way the hole represents his fears and inhibitions. Jerry has to literally and figuratively get past this hole in his life. “Out the other side” may also symbolize…

    • 151 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dialectic Journal The Road

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages

    symbol for hope and goodness. The man in The Road tries as hard as he can to make sure his son…

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    states to the nurse, " No, missy, he not dead, he just the same. Every little while his…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cormac Mccarthy the Road

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I plan to do my essay on Cormac McCarthy's book, The Road and the subsequent adaptation of the same name, Directed by John Hillcoat and adapted to screen Joe Penhall . The book tells the struggle of a father and a his child traversing across post apocoliptic America in search of a safer place to stay. The books tone is very somber and grey, the film adaptation stays true to this feeling of opression and impending doom. The book also is very exoplicit in it's portrtayl of a post acopoliptic America, people doing what they need to survive and this involves cannibalism. The book won many awards and was commended for the unromantic way it put across a post apocalyptic world.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In this book there are many interesting moments that twist the story and cause you to make predictions. The use of foreshadowing to help make you predict a different outcome of the story was effective in the short story The Road Not Taken. In the next three paragraphs I will talk about the roxolana appearance, how I thought the roxolani would conquer earth, and how the the people of earth and roxolani are prepared to go to battle.…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays