symbolism

The water throughout the novel is used as a fresh start in their (the man and boy’s) journey down the road. When they find the bunker and are replenished on the very verge of death, they wash and groom to reconnect with who they were before. However when the reach the shore and the sea is dirty and coated in ash they realise that there is no new beginning and they have no second chances as the only thing that could ‘purify’ them has been tarnished along with the rest of the world.

The mountain is a physical representative of the obstacles the characters are up against in the post apocalyptic world. It shows the strain that the man and boy are prepared to put themselves under physically and mentally. It also shows the contrasts in the new world as it starts with it being bleak and blending into the surroundings but it also holds fire and chaos which could reflect the destruction of nature in the sense that it is fighting against itself-fire and ice.

The sea is a token of hope and is pin pointed as the destination of the novel, as the ocean is the very base of life itself it can be recognised as the mother earth, when the man and child finally reach the sea they are met with bitter disappointment as it then dawns upon them that there is nothing left the world has to offer. It then becomes a constant reminder on what has been lost and the inevitable end of everything.

The colour grey is part of McCarthy’s limited pallet; it is referred to so frequently that the very word becomes mundane. It also reflects what has been lost from within the world, the blue of the sky, the green of nature and the warmth from the sun showing the loss of all that is beauty. By only referring to the landscape as this grey and dreary wasteland, the impression of it being a never ending journey as everything is the same much like everyday being the same struggle to survive.

Fire is symbolic for the supposed ‘good guys’ as it lets them show the way, this does however come with a great consequence; as it enables them to see into the dark and see all that is wrong and all that is lost. The man drops the lighter ‘the fire’ in the cellar where the people are being farmed. This shows that the responsibility of ‘carrying the fire’ can be too great. It can also be presumed as a symbolism of hope as the flare gun is most commonly used to attract a rescuer, however when the boy shoots it, there is no fire as there is no hope. Fire fluctuates between destruction and hope, as the forest fire destroys what is left of the mountain side and causes the man in the building to suffer excruciating pain.

The idea of sight and sightlessness is symbolic as there is no really definitive feature in the barren landscape so they can see but without actually seeing anything. When the man and the boy are running away after the roadrat ‘he looked around but there was nothing to see’ it reflects the idea of the world being emptied of all its riches. The concept of day and night also plays an important part in sight as during the day they are subjected to the horrors of the post-apocalyptic earth but at night they are blinded by the blackness of it all. The old man they stumble across (Ely) is partially sighted and almost has blended into the deathscape around them suggesting the only thing between humanity and death is the ability of sight. However as the novel progresses being able to see is a curse as an individual is subjected to horror beyond imagination and the images consumed will haunt them forever ‘the things you put in your head are there forever’

Seeds are symbolic as they represent a source of new life and in this post-modern world there isn’t enough to support new life. The man takes a packet of seeds from a shed and places them into his pocket as if to have to purpose of planting them later, which could just be a force of habit as there is no way to grow the seeds as the atmosphere is so thick the sun can barely prevail. The man finds some seeds on the floor of the barn and attempts to gain any nutritional value from them.

Musical instruments are symbolic as the man hand carves a flute ‘from a piece of roadside cane’ and gives it to the boy. This is symbolic as music holds the possibility for something new and unique, unlike their surroundings. The music created from the boy and his flute is categorised as ‘the last music on earth’ suggesting that this song is the last new experience in the lost world ‘called up from out of the ashes of its ruin’ implies that the music is born out of the apocalypse and will therefore share its ‘formless’ structure and be without meaning.

Religious imagery is symbolic as the new world boasts no god, ‘where men can’t live gods fare no better’ suggests that god’s are fuelled by faith and where there is no faith they cease to exist. The idea of the boy being an ‘angel’ contradicts the way of the new world as angels are sent from heaven to service mankind and protect them in some way. As the world is dead and humanity is dying there is little an ‘angel’ could do except to offer hope. This is ironic as there is no hope, because the death of everything and everyone is inevitable. The boy finds comfort within the idea of religion and often ensures that thanks are paid or a prayer is made for people; this only highlights his innocence.

The coca cola can is symbolic as it is the only real physical connection for the boy to the alien world as it was before aside from the man, to which it is a painful reminder of what has been lost and what can never be regained. It is also a symbol for consumerism as it was left in the machine while it could have been a life line for someone. The fact that the man and boy found this item in a supermarket shows the naivety of humanity as they went to the shop in the hope of supplies despite it being devastatingly obvious that the prospect of such a thing is impossible.

voice and point of view

The techniques confuse the reader as there is no definitive difference between the voice and the narrative and thoughts. Which compiles the speech, thoughts and observations into one text, giving a sense of disorientation as there is no separation between the main characters in the novel, and there is no signalling as to where the dialogue ends and the narrative begins because of McCarthy’s use of unattributed and uncontexualised dialogue. An omniscient point of view gives very little indication as to whether one of the character’s views is being put across or if a narrator is describing what they can see ‘he went down the road as far as he dared’ could be from the man’s perspective or McCarthy’s own. By utilising these techniques the reader can feel lost within the novel which is a reflection of the characters’ own disorientation.

5+5=1

·         Sirens destroy men

·         The woman represents the beauty within death

·         The man resists the temptation of an escape

·         The absence of the mother shows vulnerability

·         The woman in stronger than the man

·         Destroy

·         Beauty

·         Temptation

·         Vulnerability

·         Strength

·         The woman

the woman

The woman is a powerful and ambiguous symbolic function in the novel. She represents both the giving of life and the temptation of death.

‘He was learning how to wake himself from just such siren worlds’ suggests that she is beautiful and death which is an ironic reflection on the beauty within death, as it promises an escape from the nightmare in which they live. The reference to a ‘siren’ encourages the idea of luring men to their death through their beauty which in turn will destroy the man. The man also makes a statement to reassure the boy when he has a terrible dream; if he stops having nightmares then they are living in one. The man however has dreams about the woman which almost succeed in luring him to sleep forever as he has to force himself awake showing that he has, subconsciously, already given up.

For the man, the woman’s absence is a constant reminder of the alternative to struggling to survive.

The woman killed herself as she knew what the future held for herself and her family. She represents how easy it is to escape the world of terror surrounding the man and boy; this only makes it harder for the man to face the aspect of death as it undermines everything that he and the boy have been struggling for. This shows that she is bold enough to leave her family behind to suffer, partly because she could not kill her own son and didn’t believe the man could either; who when the time comes can’t bring himself to do it ‘I can’t’. As the novel progresses the woman’s image becomes darker and tainted as she becomes all but skin and bones in a dress with the man’s final image of her it shows that she, to him, is the very symbol of death.

The vulnerability of the boy would seem far less evident if his mother was there as well.

The boy throughout the novel is presented as a weak and vulnerable character because he has nobody to care for his emotional needs along with protection from the threats that cause his emotional distress. A mother is far more attentive to a child’s emotional turmoil than a father and would go out of their way to ensure that they were feeling okay. Opposed to the general ‘Okay. Okay’ from the man, which does little to calm and reassure the boy when a situation gets out of hand.  The mother would spend a lot of time attending to the boys needs while the father protects them (in an ideal perspective) it would also appear as a much more stable relationship if three parties were involved as the level of protection would be higher making the boy seem less vulnerable to attack.

time and stucture

Cormac McCarthy expands and contracts time throughout the novel, by doing so it structures the pace of the novel and illuminates areas that are of obvious importance. He makes a point to show the reader just how long the apocalypse was from the current narrative. ‘He thought the month was October but he wasn’t sure’ (page 2) suggest that time has quite literally stopped and there is no definite in the new world surrounding the characters, as it has lost all meaning.

McCarthy also uses the time of day to show reference of time passing this not only gives a unit of time it also provides some contrast in the never changing landscape. By just making use of the time of day, McCarthy can manipulate the length of time a particular moment is supposed to occur within. ‘Suddenly exposed to the day’ (page 20) implies that the man and boy have either sleep through the night or that the night passed too quickly.

There are also abstract references to time within the novel: ‘hurrying against the dark’ (page 74) shows that the characters have simply not got enough hours in the day to complete the aspirations. It could also imply that they have lost track of time and maybe an arduous task has undergone. Or their fight against the dark is almost over as they are ‘carrying the fire’ which by definition brings light into the darkness of the world.  It also creates the impression of the dark chasing them, possibly forcing them to undergo tasks and put themselves in less desirable circumstances.

the end

To me, the end of the novel is when the boy is introduced to the woman as it is the point where his father’s quest ends-for his son to be protected. As even though there is no certainty on whether the new characters are the ‘good guys’, it is quite obvious that they belong to a community through the new man ‘pulled back the hood from his face’ as it suggests that they have an identity.

It is also the end of the boy’s hardship, suffering and struggle for life as the woman provides a maternal edge that has always been missing in his life on the road. As she offers care along with protection from the world that his father failed to give to him. On their very first encounter she ‘put her arms around him and held him’ this shows the release of emotions missing from the novel.

It is the end of the journey for the woman (maternal) and other man as well, even though it was not depicted in the novel, their quest was to find and adopt the boy. When they finally catch up with the boy and his father is dead there is a change in tone as they speak to him how a child is expected to be spoken to. This implies that the boy can go back to just being a boy, instead of carrying the world on his shoulders.

 The boy finds new hope when a mother figure is finally introduced into his life as he has had little company aside from his father for his entire life. This is the disequilibrium and can therefore be disclosed as the end of ‘the road’. It is also the end of the boy’s physical journey as the woman and man are obviously not on ‘the road’ and are from some sort of settlement. This has great symbolism for the end of the novel.

5+5=1

• the lighter is 'carrying the fire' and this enables them to see the horrors of the new world
• sentences with commas quicken the pace to build tension and shows that not all time is equal
• love has left the world
• hunger and exhaustion can make the man overlook clues of danger e.g. the piles of supplies in the house
• people lose their identities and act on instinct when treated like animals their nature becomes animalistic

• fire
• tension
• love
• danger
• indentity

• the road

possible book covers:

little red riding hood

In the vast countryside a girl and mother lived in an old house. Blackened by the spiral of cooking smoke coming out of the crumbling chimney. Which stood faintly out amongst the dropping trees.

Go and give this to her. Said the mother. Giving the girl and sparsely filled basket.

The girl left the house and joined the long road to the woman’s house. Before long she began to tire and a wolf appeared on the other side of the road, she continued to look down at the grey path, the wolf made an advance towards her.

Where are you going?

To see the woman in the village.

The wolf left the girl in the middle of the road. He ran to the woman’s house ahead of the girl. Not long after he was at the woman’s house and stood staring at the peeling door before knocking loudly in all the silence.

Who’s there?

It is me.  I have food.

The wolf entered the house and ate the woman. She had not eaten for three days and was weak. He then shut the door and went up the creaking stairs to the bed. Another loud knock shock the door lifting the fine covering of dust around the rooms.  

Who’s there?

It’s me. I have your food from mama.

A whispered command from the wolf let the girl into the house. He was in the bed nesting in the rags of the old woman’s blankets. With a stench rising from his last meal. The girl came into the room shaking from the cold outside and sat on the bed next to the wolf. She was interested in the growing body of the old woman.

What big arms.

Better to feel you with.

What strong legs.

Better to run with.

What big ears.

Better to hear you with.

What big teeth.

Better to eat you with.

The wolf then ate the girl with terrible shrieks coming from the house which after a while stopped. A man heard the screams of the girl and came to help, as he entered there was a foul smell coming from the bed, he ran to it and found the wolf sleeping. He grabbed the scissors from his knapsack and cut into the wolf’s bulging stomach. The girl fell out onto the cold hard floor covered in filth and did a dance of terror. The woman then came out so thin her skin sagged from the bone.  They filled the wolf’s stomach with sharp stones. And when he woke he fell down dead under the weight of them.

The man drew the wolf’s skin with his blunt and rusting blade and went home. The old woman and girl ate the food and sat full for some time.  Hours later the girl left and returned home.

Okay.

Okay.

The theft of the man and boy's belongings (pp. 270-278)

When the man finds the boot prints in the sand he turns to god ‘oh Christ’ despite the world being described as ‘godless’, when they return to find everything gone within such a short amount of time it could reflect on the length of time taken for the world to turn.  The man says ‘they took everything’ which is not true because he still has the boy, so it implies that the thief took their life line, the only thing separating them from death.  The man is unsympathetic towards the boys distress ‘stop crying’ shows how little he has in the way of paternal instinct, as it has been replaced with basic instinct.

There is confusion for the first time on whether they would kill a man because they are supposed to be the ‘good guys’ and killing for gain is surely the trait of ‘bad guys’. When they catch up with the thief he shows how little there is in the world as there is no way for him to win his life but he refuses to back down ‘but he didn’t drop the knife’. There is also the first mentioning of communities ‘an outcast from one of the communes’ and his punishment indicates he was a thief within this community.

The fathers threat ‘I’m going to blow your brains out’ can be taken seriously be the reader as he killed the man who tried to kill the boy. It is only the boys good will that saves the stranger ‘papa please’ the father however abuses his power over the man and forces him to strip this act means certain death for the thief as he has no food and no way of keeping warm. This makes the reader question the father’s intentions and whether or not he is becoming a product of his environment.

The boy shows his innocence as the act he just witnessed became too much for him and he just sits in the road ‘sobbing’.  And he pleas to his father to ‘help him’ despite the fact that this man left them for dead, this causes the man to give in to the boy and he finally realises how much the boy influences and protects them ‘I am the one’. The boy is very insightful and truthful this could be to build a contrast against the world they live in as he fully understands the consequences of their actions ‘but we did kill him’.  This saddens the feel of the episode as it shows just how fast the boy has had to grow up mentally to cope with the horrors surrounding them.

The fire they light is small and damp, this could a reflection on their efforts to ‘carry the fire’ as they have lost their reasons for travelling down the road and they have lost themselves to it.

Getting to the shore (pp.227-230)

There is a great build up to reaching the shore as the man has placed all of the boy’s hopes in getting to the beach as he promises something that cannot be offered on the road. This is the promise of something new, unique and most importantly something ‘blue’, to separate it from the current world. McCarthy has made it so all of their supplies run out on approach to the shore ‘they’d almost nothing left’, encouraging the reader to hope for this something, to believe that the coast will offer them some sort of life line.  

The final approach to the coast is of great disappointment felt by the reader and characters, ‘vast and cold’ is the description given to the ocean,  which is the general view point on the entire world as it offers nothing new. This diminishes the tension at the very prospect of a new life for the man and boy. As everything will remain the same; much like the constant scenery of the world around them.  It stands out in the novel as it the moment their entire journey has aspired to, there is no purpose after the coast, it was their only aim as it offered false hope; encouraged by the man.

This shows the maturity of the boy as even though he was lead to believe that the sea was in fact blue, and there would be something there, he quickly releases his father from his guilt as he finally understands that there is nothing else that the earth can offer. The man realises at this point that there is no use in feeding him information of the lost world as it is one he will never be given the chance to experience. This makes the man more of a risk taker as there is nothing to fight for anymore, as they sit ‘with their heels dug in the sand’ out in the open for anyone to see, this shows their lack of will to stay alive for much longer as they both know their deaths are inevitable.

The sea was supposed to be a symbol of life as it was remembered as an abundant life giving source, it stood out from the rest of the world as it was vast but beautiful and blue. When the reach the shore they find a slow ‘gray’ body of water coated in a sheen of ash much like everywhere else. There is also a trail animal bones suggesting that it has no more to give, this for the man really symbolises the end as all life comes from the sea. ‘Cold. Desolate. Birdless.’ Is what is used as a summary of the scene. It referrers to the beginning of the novel ‘barren, silent, godless’ the description of the shore is more final and lets the reader realise that the entire planet is the same.   

Finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people (pp. 112-121)

This is a key episode as it shows the regression of mankind to basic instinct and the drive to survive at any cost. When the man and the boy stumble across this house which has piles of clothing they do not give it another thought as it their affinity for food that distracts them from this sign of danger. As they begin to unlock the cellar, the very fact that it is padlocked should have warned the man that whatever is in that cellar is for inhabitants only.

As the man and boy progress into the cellar they hold out his lighter this could be a representation of the price of ‘carrying the fire’ as it allows you to see the things you do not want to see. As with ‘carrying the fire’ comes the responsibility to be able to see the world how it really is. The man however drops the lighter in the cellar, suggesting that he cannot face the truth of the world. McCarthy builds and diminishes tension with short sentences to separate ideas, characters and emotions which are read slowly and long sentences which force the reader to read faster as the tension builds. Like any good horror, it happens when you least expect it to. As the shielded faces turn and whisper ‘help us’ there is a real aspect of fear, as it shows the advance towards animalism because the people in the cellar are being kept in the dark-this could symbolise the darkness of the world and mankind’s end.

Finding these imprisoned beings creates a mood of despair and desperation, McCarthy implements this through the use of repeated speech opposed to repeated ideas: ‘Hurry. For God’s sake hurry’ shows really urgency in the man’s voice as they try to escape the horror that faces them. Another way of interpreting him loosing the lighter is when you see something it’s in your head forever; he (the man) could be trying to forget this despite ‘you forget things you want to remember and remember things you want to forget’.

This episode also shows how little the man tries to emotionally comfort the boy, as they escape the boy is doing his ‘dance of terror’ and the man ‘hissed’ commands at him implies the strain their relationship is under. As every step in caring for his son seems like a task, and his refusal to talk/listen to his son only makes the boy more confused as he is searching for some form of reassurance but instead is met with his father’s cold exterior. ‘Stop crying’ is a harsh instruction, which only upsets the child further, the man then realises that his son is terrified and begins to comfort him ‘Shh. I’m right here. I wont leave you.’ This shows a more compassionate side to the man as he regrets his previous actions, realising that he has to provide support for another person.

Shooting the 'roadrat' (pp. 62-69)

McCarthy builds up tension by taking great care to create a detailed description of the ‘roadrat’, this indicates to the reader that something big is about to happen. He illustrates their slow advance towards where the man and boy where sheltering, and hides the other men’s intentions. As the roadrat unbuckles his belt, many scenarios are played before the reader as he could have seen the man and boy, and his aim could be to rape and kill them. McCarthy then diminishes this tension with the men continuing with their own business and having a relatively normal conversation.

Unlike the other characters involved within the novel, the roadrat is given a vast description almost to the extent that the reader could picture them. By stating that this ‘roadrat’ is someone who is so sickly looking that they are ‘like an animal inside a skull looking out the eyeholes’. This also conveys the idea of losing their human nature and becoming more animalistic as well as being an image of death.

There is a lot of speech in this episode unlike many others as it is the first human being to contact the man and boy since the beginning of the novel. McCarthy however does not indicate who is speaking at each moment allowing the reader to confuse characters. This could be intentional as it shows that everyone is alike from linguistics to actions. This roadrat is categorised as a ‘bad guy’ but the man is just as willing to kill him as the roadrat is the boy. This could be a reflection on all the remaining human beings being the same, as they lose their identities and values as they travel further down the road.

It is unclear up until page 68 that the man is being serious about shooting the roadrat, his fast reaction to the taking of the child comes a quite a shock as he doesn’t attempt to reason with the roadrat and instead shoots him in an choreographed and professional manner. This could suggest that the man has used a good against people before which could indicate a military type of institution. The incident itself appears to happen extremely fast, this is obvious as there are long sentences. It almost gives the feel of actual time for an event such as this.

Coming across the man who has been struck by lightning (pp. 50-53)

This episode shows that it is every man for himself in this post modern reality; as the man is very quick to avoid this man at all costs, despite not knowing whether he is a ‘good guy’ or not. This also indicates that the man is unwilling to provide any aid/help to anyone other than his son as he is his priority. By hurrying past the man who has been struck by lightning, the boy is concerned as they are meant to be the ‘good guys’ but do nothing to help him. The boy is quite persistent about helping the man ‘can’t we help him papa?’ the man while seeming unfair is being practical as they can’t afford to waste supplies on someone who essentially can’t be saved.

By the child pleading to help someone it provokes an emotional tie with both characters (the boy and the man-who has been struck by lightning) as it shows childhood naivety despite the harsh environment in which they life that would force a child to grow up at an alarming rate. This could be, however, because of his reliance on his father to take control of a situation and to shield him from things that no child should see. And a kind heartedness that is preserved for the boy only, as the man is often referred to as being cold inside, having a heart made of stone.

This is an interesting episode as. Not only do they encounter another human being, the man also releases himself from his own past. By discarding his wife’s picture and his identification he loses who he was before. This conforms to the idea of losing his identity as it doesn’t matter anymore, as nothing matters any more. He now, like everyone else has no name or sense of self, he will forever journey on the road along with his nameless son.

Coming across this man is a key episode as it shows the little regard left for human life and the obscurity of morals. Being presented with a man in obvious need of assistance, the man who has been struck by lightning would be representative of the melting world of endless suffering that surrounds them ‘he was as burntlooking as the country’. Without this episode there would be no inclination of how society has progressed into nothingness.

deserted

episode (pages 1-6)

This episode reveals that this is a post apocalyptic world/setting ‘barren, silent, godless’ shows that it is an empty reality where even God has ceased to prevail. By choosing to describe‘glaucoma’ it implies the world is aging, decaying, slowly going blind. With the earth dying around them, the man and boy, show how precious life is; as if at any moment death could take it away- ‘each precious breath’. Another indication of a lifeless planet is the fact that the sun’s rays and warmth are missing from the grey world ‘grey light’ this doesn’t conform to a typical morning scene showing that this is post modern. This could also reflect the emotional effects of the end of the world as emotions die.

There is an indication that the characters (man and boy) will just continue with their endless routine ‘he hadn’t kept a calendar for years’ show that every day is the same as the last . They will return to ‘the road’ and venture south to survive as they ‘won’t survive another winter’ in their present location this suggests that they are northwards and it is later in the year perhaps late autumn. Moving south for them is a matter of life or death.

There is an increase in tension as the creature in the man’s dream is described as it brings an aspect of horror to this episode. This creature could be a reflection of humankind’s destruction and distress. The father lets his mind wander while the child is asleep and gets himself into a state of paranoia and panic ‘this was not a safe place’ however when the child wakes, there is immediate reassurance and the comfort provided by another human being.

This shows that the man relies on the boy for emotional reassurance just as much as the boy relies on the man for guidance and protection. The episode also suggests that they only have each other as no other characters are mentioned; an obvious father son relationship can be established as the man is very protective and concerned for his young son who seems to be 7-10 years old.

The language used at the beginning of this episode is quite unique as there is a relatively wide vocabulary in comparison to the rest of the novel.  This could be as the man has had very little companionship beside his son for a very long time and therefore has no reason to explore and widen his dialect. There is also the constant grey landscape around them with ash and dim light which could represent the end and hopelessness.

This is not a key episode aside from the fact that it is the most mundane out of the novel as there are no defining events that shape the rest of the novel. It is however important as it shows the characters in a state of normality before things take a turn for the worst, giving readers a chance to analyse the characters and their relationship. It does therefore stand out for this reason and as there are no immediate threats, it is a lot calmer than other sections.

the road-trailer

video

what the road make me think of

quotations (part 2)

They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and them 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.

It shows how little they have and how much they are grateful for, it seems like a strange reality for them to have the need of a pistol whilst bathing his son. The weariness of their behaviour seems like they sneak around as they live in constant fear. As they retreat back to a safe place it shows how much they appreciate it and how rare of an occurrence it is

Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth.

Drags time, as if the entire world is silent, echoing the silence of mankind.

She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift. 

Her, his wife, killing herself is a great gift for them as it is one less person to protect and provide for in the wasting world surrounding them. She seemed to blame him for bringing the child into the world and with her not being with them is a way for him to let go of the guilt and blame.

quotations

This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man’s brains out of his hair. That is my job,

By referring to his son as ‘child’ he is refraining himself from giving him a name, this could be to distance himself from the ‘child’ as he understands that losing him is unavoidable, so he is trying to spare himself of the emotional turmoil associated with losing a child. ‘A dead man’s brains’ shows the world in which they live; to do such a task is almost mundane. By calling such as task a ‘job’ it seems almost like a common occurrence.

Yes I am, he said. I am the one

This is spoken by the ‘boy’ and makes it seem like he is the only ‘one’, the only child left on the planet. This adds to the desolate nature of the novel and to the despair of the dying world.

Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots, canned hams, corned beef

This seems like an endless list, as if they have never seen such a variety of food before, which for the boy is true. It is a positive moment in a relatively constant setting, and implies hope. It teaches that this is a life line for the man and the boy, as if this is the only thing that stands between them and death. The sheer magnitude of food and selection is most likely to be food as they have never seen it before, as they indulge in rich food for a change, opposed to their regular use for food as a fuel for the dreary and hard days.

Are we still the good guys, he said

This shows that ‘the child’ is confused as to where they now lie within society. This indicates that an event has just taken place which has caused him to question their role in this life. By using ‘good guys,’ it shows that there are people who maintain different intentions to them and can be categorised as bad. It also shows that the story of good and evil is still present in ‘the child’s’ life, whether this has been taught right is a different question, as they spend their days scavenging the homes of the deceased to support themselves .

We should go, papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn’t

Shows the child’s obvious fear is overlooked by his father’s urge to stay alive in this ending world. This is from when they return to his childhood home, and even though it offers nothing of purpose he cannot leave despite the child’s obvious distress. As it is not safe for them to be there during the day as it is a direct link to the man’s past. The man is reluctant to leave as it offers him proof that the world in which he grow up, did exist and is not just an exaggerated figment of his imagination.     

The snow fell nor did it cease to fall

Shows the never ending misery of their landscape, the ‘snow’ is cold and is a sign of death for the man and child as if they get cold they would surely die. It could also symbolise the constant death of people on the planet, and as snow is a sign of winter months it could be seen as the end for many.

Okay, okay

Shows the reassurance within the man and child’s relationship as they only have each other; the boy looks after the man as much as the man looks after the boy. It implies a reliance within the relationship between them as it comforts them both the same.