Writing Homework Help

One way of reading “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy is to think of the narrative of the book itself as a “biblical tale” that might be told hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the future (the future of our present time)–a boy and his father travel through a wasteland, doing their best to survive, but keep a strong moral and ethical framework in their quest. In other words, what McCarthy created with this book is the same kind of tale or fable people all over the world reading the Bible and other holy book experience. Looking at the book this way, it’s even less important why the “world ended”; the action of the book represents another phase where human hubris, or environmental degradation, or even cosmic disaster (think asteroid) has befallen the Earth. The action of the story (were it told hundreds or thousands of years in the future) would let those people know how this newest branch of human activity began (after the unnamed disaster the action of the book follows).

In a well-structured 3-4 page essay, look at the book through the interpretive lens I’ve described above. Part of your essay should explore the many biblical references that take place throughout. How do these references, and furthermore, how does the action of the book support the interpretation I’ve partially mapped out above? What do we learn about the morals and ethics of the boy and his father? Why are their decisions important if we interpret the book as a guide for how future generations should behave?