The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The theme of The Road would be man's inhumanity to his fellow man.
Example #1: "They're going to kill those people, aren't they? Yes. Why do they have to do that? I don't know. Are they going to eat them? I don't know. They're going to eat them, aren't they? Yes" (McCarthy 127).
Example #2: "Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. The smell was hideous" (McCarthy 110).
Example #1: "They're going to kill those people, aren't they? Yes. Why do they have to do that? I don't know. Are they going to eat them? I don't know. They're going to eat them, aren't they? Yes" (McCarthy 127).
Example #2: "Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. The smell was hideous" (McCarthy 110).
If you were to place this excerpt onto the Campbell/Vogler continuum, it would land in Act II where the hero faces a test or is approached by allies/ enemies because in this passage, the duo meets an old man who is also travelling on the road. I decided this because when they approached the man, he looked like a pile of rags and it was obvious that he hasnt eaten in a very long time. We don't know if had encountered any other people before he met the father and son but if he did it's obvious that they didn't help him. My passage is the exception to the theme of the book because instead of avoiding the old man they stop to help him mostly because the little boy wanted to. The old man isn't an enemy but he also isn't an ally to the duo but he does not pose a threat.
My Passage: Pages 162-165
"They'd no way to answer the question. He wiped his nose with the back of his wrist and stood waiting. He had no shoes at all and his feet were wrapped in rags and cardboard tied with green twine and any number of layers of vile clothing showed through the tears and holes in it. Of a sudden he seemed to wilt even further. He leaned on his cane and lowered himself into the road where he sat among the ashes with one hand over his head. He looked like a pile of rags fallen off a cart. They came forward and stood looking down at him. Sir? the man said. Sir?
The boy squatted and put a hand on his shoulder. He's scared, Papa. The man is scared. He looked up the road and down. If this is an ambush he goes first, he said. He's just scared Papa. Tell him we wont hurt him. The old man shook his head from side to side, his fingers laced in his filthy hair. The boy looked up at his father. maybe he thinks we aren't real. What does he think we are? I don't know. We cant stay here. we have to go. hes scared, Papa. I don't think we should touch him. maybe we could give him something to eat. he stood looking off down the road. Damn, he whispered. He looked down at the old man. Perhaps he'd turn into a god and they to trees. All right, he said.
He untied the tarp and folded it back and rummaged through the canned goods and came up with a tin of fruit cocktail and took the can opener from his pocket and opened the tin and folded back the lid and walked over and squatted and handed it to the boy. What about a spoon? He's not getting a spoon. the boy took the tin and handed it to the old man. Take it, he whispered. Here. The old man raised his eyes and looked at the boy. The boy gestured at him with the tin. He looked like someone trying to feed a vulture broken in the road. It's okay, he said. The old man lowered his hand from his head. he blinked. Grayblue eyes half buried in the thin and sooty creases of his skin. Take it, he said.He reached with his scrawny claws and took it and held it to his chest. Eat it, the boy said. It's good. He made tipping motions with his hands. The old man looked down at the tin. he took a fresh grip and lifted it, his nose wrinkling. His long and yellowed claws scrabbled at the metal. The he tipped it and drank. The juice ran down his filthy beard. He lowered the can, chewing with difficulty. He jerked his head when he swallowed. Look, Papa, the boy whispered. I see, the man said. The boy turned and looked at him. I know what the question is, the man said. The answer is no. Whats the question? Can we keep him. We cant. I know. You know. Yeah. All right. Can we give him something else? Let's see how he does with this. They watched him eat. When he was done he sat holding the empty tin and looking down into it as if more might appear."
He untied the tarp and folded it back and rummaged through the canned goods and came up with a tin of fruit cocktail and took the can opener from his pocket and opened the tin and folded back the lid and walked over and squatted and handed it to the boy. What about a spoon? He's not getting a spoon. the boy took the tin and handed it to the old man. Take it, he whispered. Here. The old man raised his eyes and looked at the boy. The boy gestured at him with the tin. He looked like someone trying to feed a vulture broken in the road. It's okay, he said. The old man lowered his hand from his head. he blinked. Grayblue eyes half buried in the thin and sooty creases of his skin. Take it, he said.He reached with his scrawny claws and took it and held it to his chest. Eat it, the boy said. It's good. He made tipping motions with his hands. The old man looked down at the tin. he took a fresh grip and lifted it, his nose wrinkling. His long and yellowed claws scrabbled at the metal. The he tipped it and drank. The juice ran down his filthy beard. He lowered the can, chewing with difficulty. He jerked his head when he swallowed. Look, Papa, the boy whispered. I see, the man said. The boy turned and looked at him. I know what the question is, the man said. The answer is no. Whats the question? Can we keep him. We cant. I know. You know. Yeah. All right. Can we give him something else? Let's see how he does with this. They watched him eat. When he was done he sat holding the empty tin and looking down into it as if more might appear."
