The protagonist in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is the man. He is a father and a widower, after his wife committed suicide. I would imagine his physical appearance to be worn and weary, a reflection on what he has gone through and is going through. The circumstances that characterize this novel, revolve around the fall of humanity and the world. Due to this, the man is dedicated to protecting his son and surviving each day. His motivation is his boy, a sole theme in the novel. This child is the last remainder of all that is dear to him, as they live a nomadically in a game of sustainability. His devotion is reflected throughout the novel, highlighted explicitly in dialogue:
[His] job is to take care of [the boy]. [The man] was appointed to do that by God. [He would] kill anyone who touches [his son] (77).
Besides the explicit physical conflict, the man must also maintain a positive and protective role. Naturally, his boy poses many paranoid questions, the most common being "Are we going to die?" (10). Despite the circumstances, he comforts the child and attempts to restore the boy's fallen hopes. Yet, this proves to be a struggle on himself as he occasionally finds himself irritated by such inevitable and pessimistic speech.
An unconditionally devoted protagonist is, in my opinion, a common character used in multiple works of art. To me, the man is a less dramatic rendition on Albus Dumbledore of my childhood favourite "Harry Potter" series. Dumbledore saw Harry as a son, coming to his aid and protection even past his death. This being said, I am almost positive there are many other people reminiscent to that of the man. This, perhaps, is how Cormac McCarthy made a story about the end of life relatable to people today.
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ReplyDeleteAmazing how you posted this at 6:45 AM Kaitlin :D
ReplyDeleteAs for "The Road", I agree that the man must maintain a positive and protective role. The fall of humanity is the perfect catalyst for chaos and corruption. I believe that we humans, although are of "higher" intelligence than animals, act like even bigger beasts in times of unruliness; by the time our primal instincts take over only one thing matters, survival.
Not only does the boy represent "all that is dear to him" but also purity and innocence which the theme of your novel seems to revolve around (Kaitlin 5). The man, like Albus Dumbledore, is the guardian and protector of this innocence. Another recognisable constant between the two parties is the connection that holds them together, love.
Having watched the film version, I'm looking forward to reading the novel version through your interpretations!
Douglas,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful take on this topic. It gives me something to ponder about. Hmm... It's kind of scary to imagine yourself in such a situation... It's scary to realize that maybe in desperation we'd all do the same thing as what's happening in the novel. I don't know. The cannibalism part (if that's what it is) kind of disturbs me.
Thank you for support! I greatly appreciate it.
I really admire how you interpreted the protagonist's appearance through what has happened to him. Most novels directly show what the physical appearance of most of the characters are, but your insight shows that you have a true understanding of the novel so far.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you used a quote for the title of the post is also very clever, since it really brings out both the character and the theme of the story. The quote is in question form, which shows that the author may be questioning humanity, and the subject is "lost men", which may refer to the protagonist's feelings after being deserted by his wife and left a single father.
Overall, I really enjoyed your post. Great job, Kaitlin!
Thank you, Angela! And you're right; your idea about "lost men" makes sense.
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