Author paints bleak picture through characters

McCarthy’s take on post-apocalyptic society is definitely a downer

Megan Charles - charlemr@plu.edu

mast a&e reporter

“The Road” chronicles a father and son’s journey in a futuristic post-apocalyptic U.S. The novel is written from the perspective of the father but the narrative lacks intimacy. Even the father’s flashbacks and dreams of the past keep the reader on the outside looking in, little more than horrified spectators. McCarthy seems intent on keeping the reader at arms length.

The father, like the wasteland he walks upon, is barren. He has lost his humanity, his capacity to care about other human beings. Even the memories of his past fail to evoke much emotion. His singular purpose in life is to keep his son alive, but even this seemingly selfless goal isn’t about the love he feels for his son. His efforts to protect the boy are largely selfish. He knows that his son may be better off dead, but can’t bear to lose him.

The son, on the other hand has retained his humanity. Despite the horrific things he has seen, he is willing to trust people. He is concerned about others and is prepared to make sacrifices to help people, even if they would not do the same for him. While the ending to the novel could hardly be described as upbeat, ultimately I think McCarthy is trying to get the point across that humanity is capable of great perseverance.

I found “The Road” to be an unsatisfying read. Because we experience the novel through the eyes of the father, who is so detached, the reader never feels invested in the story. McCarthy does this intentionally. His prose is sparse and he never gives away the names of his characters, never permits readers to delve deep into their minds or feel anything except futile hopelessness and a profound sense of anger and fear.

Maybe this is what McCarthy wanted, but it didn’t engage me. I can appreciate the literary accomplishment of this novel, but I can’t say that I was ever completely drawn into it. I felt like a spectator watching a horrible disaster on the evening news. I felt empathy, but ultimately I didn’t feel like I knew the characters enough to be deeply moved.

"The Road "

By Cormac McCarthy

Fiction, 287 pages