Strength on the Road

The Road, written by Cormac McCarthy brings forth an aspect of life that many of us rarely even give thought to. What is life when there is no life left? The Road tells the story of an anonymous man and his son traveling the country in a time that i believe to be post apocalyptic. With no names, no food, and no source of travel these men test their strength each and everyday just by surviving. The anonymity found throughout the novel gives it an eerie sense of abandonment. Names don't matter, nothing matters. The only thing worth living for is to see what is left. They are unaware as to what still exists of the world, and the son never even knew what the world was before this mess. Struggling to stay warm in the dead of winter, the men only have a tarp and a cart to protect them. The father's unconditional trust in the world is refreshing throughout the story, and gives the reader a sense of confidence in their survival. Although the men are on a constant hunt for food, the reader is always trusting that things will work out because the father constantly reassures the son that everything is going to be okay and they will not starve. Along their journey they come across good guys and bad. The bad being really really bad. Encountering the location of a herd of cannibals, the father and son escape the holding center of the victims who are impending their death. This scene was hard for me to deal with, and apparently this part of the movie is even more heart wrenching. Although i am unable to relate to such a situation, this instance demonstrates the weight of the novel perfectly. The Road is the type of book that really makes you think about life, and realize how lucky you are to have the things you do. The constant search for things we take for granted each and every day made me understand that i am lucky to have food and shelter available for me at all times. The way i connected to this book was by putting myself in the son's shoes. This is all he has ever known, and all he ever will. He is strong, and while i was reading i was wondering if i would be able to deal with things as well as he did. This book demonstrated the importance of appreciation to me, and showed me what unconditional love truly means.