In "The Road", the author keeps the details of the catastrophic event that happened a secret and the reader never discovers the absolute truth. All the reader knows is that a horrific event occured in the past and it devastated the entire area and the family. Everything is covered in ash and there are few survivors. It is shown that somthing horrifying was going to happen when the man was conserving water after seeing a glowing light and hearing concussions. Also as they are walking they describe "shuffling through the ash" (p. 6).
Although this secret is kept from the reader it is not necessary to understand the overall hope that lives throughout the novel. Even though the reader does not know the exact truth of why the world is suddenly devastated it does not diminish the understanding of hope and faith that is instilled in the man and the little boy.
This secret is also in connection with what happened to the mother. As a result of the catastrophic event she lost hope and thought that is was not worth it and at one point the boy wants to give up just like her and wishes he was with her. But once again hope is gained by the connection between the father and the boy. No matter what, whether a horrific event that ruined their world or the loss of the woman they both sustain the hope to carry on.
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2 comments:
I agree with what you said about how the author never tells the reader what exactly occurred to cause the catastrophe and that it's not the most important aspect of the novel. The author doesn't want the reader to dwell on what happened but how this father and son survival in this devastated world. Another reason the author might not have specified what the catastrophe was could be to give the reader something to think about and ponder throughout the novel and come to their conclusion. It gives the novel a bit of mystery along with the journey.
I agree; a lot of information is withheld from the reader, in turn making the majority of the story a secret to the reader. However, that is what makes it so mysterious and that is what really sucks me in every time I open this book. I kind of like that we don't know where they are going or where they are coming from or what has happened, and even though things seem so awful they are hopeful and keep pressing on not knowing if things will be different for them in the end.
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