Assignment #2

            Cormac McCarthy’s ominous story, The Road, demonstrates the journey of a father’s demise whose sole purpose in a post-apocalyptic world is to show his only son how to survive and function in such a corrupt environment.

            Since the beginning of the story, the father knew that one day he would be deceased and his son would have to take on the responsibility of fending for himself. With that in mind, the father pours all of his knowledge and soul into teaching the young child how to scavenge for food, don’t try to be a hero, and that he should stay away from anyone that could pose as a potential threat. The author reveals how the father is trying to prepare his son for the apocalyptic world when he states,” Mostly he worried about their shoes. That and food. Always food” (McCarthy 17). This suggests that the father understands how important it is that the young boy knows how to scavenge for food so that he can survive. As the search for food continues, the young child is starting to understand how and what he should do to so that starvation doesn't occur. The story continues when the author portrays the father’s concern for the boy when he states,” They went on; they looked back at the man. The burned man fallen over. I’m sorry he said. But we have nothing to give him. I’m sorry for what happened to him but we had no way to help. You know that don’t you” (McCarthy, 50)? This shows that the father was only trying to teach his son that he can’t always try to be a hero by helping others when he all he needs to worry about is himself. By teaching the young child this, he would understand that his life is what matters, and that to survive, he should only take care of himself. In the end, the author depicts the unforgettable truth that the time has come when the young boy has to fend for himself when he stated, "You need to go on. I cant go with you. You need to keep going. You don't know what might be down the road. We were always lucky. You'll be lucky again. Just go. It's all right. This has been a long time coming. Now it's here. Do everything the way we did it" (McCarthy, 278). By telling his son this, the father knew it was time for him to past on. This shows that the father has done what ever could to teach his son how to survive, and clearly shows how the father's demise help to illuminate the meaning of this ominous story. 
   
               The relationship between a parent and child is full of enlightenment. McCarthy's novel successfully demonstrates this through out his story because the reader can see that a parent's true goal is to provide their child with the skills and knowledge so that they are able to survive in a world with no hope.  .