Hello all and welcome to my final blog post. Thank you all for accompanying me on this rollercoaster of a journey through the world of McCarthy’s The Road. The final reading section of this novel was heartbreaking to say the least. In the last hundred pages of the novel we are bombarded with images of the past and the narrator’s philosophical musings, and his eventual death. As the novel came to a close I found myself thinking hard over the question of what it all means. While a fascinating novel, the morals aren’t always direct and the message seems obscured behind layers of analysis. While I’m sure this novel can be interpreted in various ways, here is my own interpretation of its meaning.
I believe that the most important message McCarthy drives home in this piece is the resilience of hope and the idea that the power we hold is not designated by our inventions and society, but by the fire we carry within ourselves. The greatest power that humankind has is hope, and even if the world burns down we can keep our hope. In the very beginning of the novel, the father explains that his manifestation of hope is his son. He says, “Not all words are true and this blessing is no less real for being shorn of its ground,” (31) maintaining that despite the desolation and hopelessness of Earth, his son is still a miracle and a figure of hope, even in a hopeless world. An idea brought up throughout the novel is the idea of ‘carrying the fire’, often prompted by a need to validate their ongoing struggle. In the very end of the novel the idea of the fire as a symbol for hope is confirmed by the narrator as he speaks with his son as he dies,
“Is it real? The fire?
Yes it is.
Where is it? I don’t know where it is.
Yes you do. It’s inside you. It was always there. I can see it,” (298). The son must go on despite his father’s death and by doing so maintain the fire of hope. I think this idea of our greatest strength being that which we hold within us, and not something material is a very important idea to our modern world. McCarthy points out the obsoleteness of a variety of things that we as people consider vital and seek to achieve, diminishing them to purely superficial things. Early on in the novel he addresses the idea of status and position, how when the world falls apart these social distinctions fall away. We see this in an early confrontation,
“Are you a doctor?
I’m not anything,” (68) in which the father acknowledges the dissolution of social divisions in a world without society. This idea is brought up again later on when they encounter the elderly man who calls himself Ely. The father questions him about what he is to which he replies,
“I’m not anything,” (175). Another distinction that McCarthy addresses is religion and the sanctity that people find in believing in God. Throughout the novel the father philosophizes about the presence of God, the predicament of if God exists he must be cruel to allow such things to occur, but if God does not exist or has left us we are truly alone. The introduction of Ely prompts further philosophizing on the subject, as Ely discusses Godlessness at length. Ely explains that he didn’t quite believe his eyes when he saw the boy to which the man asks if he thought he was an angel, and what if he told him that he is a God? Ely replies,
“I’m past all that now. Have been for years. Where men can’t live gods fare no better. You’ll see. It’s better to be alone. So I hope that’s not true what you said because to be on the road with the last god would be a terrible thing so I hope it’s not true,” (173) saying that he has gotten over the idea of salvation, or the possibility of God watching over them. McCarthy suggests this kind of hope in an abstract being is fruitless, waiting to be saved or expecting salvation in a barren and cruel world only leads to disillusion. He further perpetuates this idea near the end of the novel by referring to those who went out into the world foolishly after the fall out as pilgrims,
“Electrical appliances, furniture. Tools. Things abandoned long ago by pilgrims enroute to their several and collective deaths,” (201). While a pilgrim can simply be a traveler, the primary definition is one journeying to a sacred place for religious reasons, and the suggestion that these people abandoned their material items but entered this cruel world blinded by faith is an interesting commentary on religion. McCarthy often discusses the uselessness of material objects in this new world, but his commentary on more philosophical possessions is an interesting take on our society.
While the ending of the book was very sad, and I admit I cried a little bit, I really enjoyed this book and I found the morals discussed in it to be very interesting. Thank you guys for tuning in to this blog!
I believe that the most important message McCarthy drives home in this piece is the resilience of hope and the idea that the power we hold is not designated by our inventions and society, but by the fire we carry within ourselves. The greatest power that humankind has is hope, and even if the world burns down we can keep our hope. In the very beginning of the novel, the father explains that his manifestation of hope is his son. He says, “Not all words are true and this blessing is no less real for being shorn of its ground,” (31) maintaining that despite the desolation and hopelessness of Earth, his son is still a miracle and a figure of hope, even in a hopeless world. An idea brought up throughout the novel is the idea of ‘carrying the fire’, often prompted by a need to validate their ongoing struggle. In the very end of the novel the idea of the fire as a symbol for hope is confirmed by the narrator as he speaks with his son as he dies,
“Is it real? The fire?
Yes it is.
Where is it? I don’t know where it is.
Yes you do. It’s inside you. It was always there. I can see it,” (298). The son must go on despite his father’s death and by doing so maintain the fire of hope. I think this idea of our greatest strength being that which we hold within us, and not something material is a very important idea to our modern world. McCarthy points out the obsoleteness of a variety of things that we as people consider vital and seek to achieve, diminishing them to purely superficial things. Early on in the novel he addresses the idea of status and position, how when the world falls apart these social distinctions fall away. We see this in an early confrontation,
“Are you a doctor?
I’m not anything,” (68) in which the father acknowledges the dissolution of social divisions in a world without society. This idea is brought up again later on when they encounter the elderly man who calls himself Ely. The father questions him about what he is to which he replies,
“I’m not anything,” (175). Another distinction that McCarthy addresses is religion and the sanctity that people find in believing in God. Throughout the novel the father philosophizes about the presence of God, the predicament of if God exists he must be cruel to allow such things to occur, but if God does not exist or has left us we are truly alone. The introduction of Ely prompts further philosophizing on the subject, as Ely discusses Godlessness at length. Ely explains that he didn’t quite believe his eyes when he saw the boy to which the man asks if he thought he was an angel, and what if he told him that he is a God? Ely replies,
“I’m past all that now. Have been for years. Where men can’t live gods fare no better. You’ll see. It’s better to be alone. So I hope that’s not true what you said because to be on the road with the last god would be a terrible thing so I hope it’s not true,” (173) saying that he has gotten over the idea of salvation, or the possibility of God watching over them. McCarthy suggests this kind of hope in an abstract being is fruitless, waiting to be saved or expecting salvation in a barren and cruel world only leads to disillusion. He further perpetuates this idea near the end of the novel by referring to those who went out into the world foolishly after the fall out as pilgrims,
“Electrical appliances, furniture. Tools. Things abandoned long ago by pilgrims enroute to their several and collective deaths,” (201). While a pilgrim can simply be a traveler, the primary definition is one journeying to a sacred place for religious reasons, and the suggestion that these people abandoned their material items but entered this cruel world blinded by faith is an interesting commentary on religion. McCarthy often discusses the uselessness of material objects in this new world, but his commentary on more philosophical possessions is an interesting take on our society.
While the ending of the book was very sad, and I admit I cried a little bit, I really enjoyed this book and I found the morals discussed in it to be very interesting. Thank you guys for tuning in to this blog!
Given that the father says that the boy is still carrying the fire and that there is hope within that aspect of the ending, do you see the ending as positive in any way?
ReplyDeleteI think it is positive! I think a significant clue is the shift of the narration over to the son, suggesting that the fire does not die with the father and that the son will be able to carry on. In the mini-epilogue at the end of the book the son seems to be faring well and carrying on in his father's footsteps and maintaining the morals he swore to abide by.
DeleteSanne,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you on the ending. While I didn't cry, it emotionally crushed me despite seeing it coming. I also completely agreed with and found your connection between the religious aspect and the overall theme of material possession being useless in comparison to the hope humans can hold very fascinating.
My main question for you is in regards to the connection of the theme to modern society. Other than the stated status and position, what other things do you think McCarthy could be trying to point out to us as superficial in our society? You discussed material possession as well, but it got me to thinking about things such as the morality of actions to keep our most powerful human aspect in hope. I am curious as to your thoughts on this.
Once again, great blog!
-Charlie D.
Thanks! I think he definitely wants to point out that we cannot forget our morals when seeking status, success and survival. Just because we are poor does not mean we can steal, just because there are shortcuts to success that may harm others does not mean we should take them. I think that was one of the biggest modern implications personally.
Delete