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.