Comac McCarthy s dark novel "The Road" uses the fathers demise to help illustrate their fight for survival and obstacles they faced.
Throughout the story the father and son constantly faced struggles leaving the young boy worried at times. "How long do you think you can go without food", (McCarthy 101). the young boy constantly questioned his father regarding their survival. The father knew that death could happen any moment but he didn't want his son to be in fear. Later on the father and son encountered a thief, it finally came to the point where the father had to show his son that fighting for survival might right require one to kill, "I'll kill you right where you stand", (McCarthy 256). knowing that resources are scarce drives the man to possibly take someones life just for stealing from them. As the father is reaching his near death he tries to ensure his son that everything will be okay as long as he maintains faith, "You have to carry the fire", (McCarthy 278). the fire symbolizes the faith the boy has in himself, now that his father is no longer around he will understand what it means to survive and also teach himself along the way.
Someone else s views and demise can help one to come to the realization of things. McCarthy organized the novel to show how everything that the father and son faced was for a reason. it seemed that the father was preparing his son for the main obstacle which was being able to survive without him being present.
