Voice and Point of View

The Road is written in the third person, in the voice of an omniscient narrator, with the characters referred to as ‘he’ or ‘the boy’. However, within this, McCarthy manipulates and plays with the narrative voice and the point of view from which the story is seen. Here are some of the things you might find interesting to explore in relation to the narrative voice of The Road: 

• –  3rd person voice, omniscient point of view
• –  3rd person voice, from the point of view of the man
• –  3rd person voice, from the point of view of the boy
• –  unattributed dialogue (i.e. without ‘he said’)
• –  decontextualised dialogue (without commentary from the narrator)
• –  unattributed thoughts (i.e. without ‘he thought’)
• –  not signalling where the narrative ends and dialogue or the thoughts of a character in the first person begin
• –  dream sequences related without a clear sense of whether it is in the third or first person
• –  3rd person free indirect style where the reader not only feels he/she is seeing events from a character’s perspective but that it is in the character’s own words, not those of the narrative voice. 

P.G 32

• Free indirect style
• McCarthy does this to make the reader question who is narrating and possibly confuse them because it seems as though there is a second narrator who speaks about there being 'no godspoken men.'
• He changes his point of view during this part he asks a rhetorical question and this could possibly mean that the man is talking to someone. He also may have lost his faith with god when his wife killed herself.  
• It leaves the reader asking more questions about the man and what actually happened to him
• It could also link to an omniscient narrator because of the god like voice maybe it could actually be god telling the story and that's why it is so important they keep the light as a sign of faith
• However could come across as the man having an inner thought. He doesn't usually let these emotions show because he thinks if he blocks them out everything will be for the better and he won't get upset thinking back about his wife. 

The Role of Women

Woman: 14

Mother: 2

Mom: 1

Wife: 1

Man: 184

Father: 23

First thoughts: 

• It's a mans world
• Women are seen as weaker so may not survive an apocalypse 
• The man blames the woman for his loneliness
• Woman symbolize life and reproduction (with no more women there is no life left.) 
• The woman is dead so she cant really be in the book
• The boy is more dependent on his dad which is the opposite to the normality where it is seen that the mother has a stronger relationship
• It isn't oedipal
• You must be a man to survive
• Women aren't put in a good light 
• Male characters are weak and ignorant. Where as women are strong and that's why she killed herself
• Men caused the apocalypse so maybe they should be the ones that have to carry on living 

P.G 17

• He still doesn't hate her although he yearns for her and not in just a sexual way
• They obviously had a decent amount of money because they can go to big theaters
• He is now realizing how much he's lost 
• It let's you know about the mans past and how there used to be a women in the life
• He doesn't want to remember her constantly because he knows it will upset him

P.G 54

• They are both showing a more mature relationship because they are having a baby
• She shows her dependency on the man by asking 'What is happening?'
• Life and death in one section because the apocalypse is`about to happen yet she is pregnant which shows a sign of new life
• The birth is never mentioned of the boy, maybe see as sad because it means someone else was dependent on them 

P.G 56

• The boy wanting his 'mom' back
• The man regrets not keeping the woman in their lives because things might be better for them if they had
• The boy wishes he was dead like his mom because he longs for a different type of attention maybe a bit more affection

P.G 57

• The man and the woman are arguing over whether she should kill herself
• She knows what will happen in the future and she would rather die now than in the future when things will get worse for them
• The woman makes herself seem like a horrible person who's cheating on him and is running off with death, this could be to make it easier for the man. 

Screen Play

Episode 1: Opens on the man dreaming of the women before the apocalypse when they are at the theater. He then wakes and we are introduced to the boy and man and the circumstances that they live in now. There is flashbacks of the women and of when she killed herself. It will end with the man leaving his wallet in the road with the picture of his wife.

Episode 2: They will meet the road rat and the man will  kill him because he threatens the boy.  They also meet the man who has been struck by lightening. Finally they see the cannibalistic men and women that are locked in a cellar of a house. As they go to leave the house the people who are keeping them captive come back and they have to run. It will end on them running away from them into a field.

Episode 3: Opens on them sleeping in the field. They walk to the beach and see a boat. In the boat there is food that they get. When they go back to the cart it's been taken. They follow the trial of sand to a town. Where the man gets shot in the leg with an arrow. The man dies and the boy walks off with another family.

We chose these parts because we think they are the most interesting things that happen throughout the book. We also think that it shows different sides to the boy and the man.

The Gruffalo written like McCarthy

When he woke in the woods in the first grey light. He rose and walked out to the road. In front was a limping old fox. He walked behind and studied him and finally walked past him.
Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my underground house.
It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo.
A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?
A gruffalo why didn't you know? He has terrible tusks and terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.
Where are you meeting him?
Here by this rock and his favorite food is roasted fox.
Roasted fox I'm off! Goodbye little mouse!
Silly old fox doesn't he know there's no such thing as a gruffalo. Soon the mouse could no longer see the fox but along came a flying owl. Swooping silently down. Moving the dust on the road as he flapped for the final few times.
Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have tea in my treetop house.
It's frightfully nice of you, Owl, but no I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo.
A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?
A gruffalo why didn't you know? He has knobbly knees and turned-out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.
Where are you meeting him?
Here by this stream and his favorite food is owl ice cream.
Owl ice cream! Goodbye little mouse!
Sill old owl doesn't he know there's no such thing as a gruffalo. The owl was out of sight before the mouse could think any more of it. He carried on walking soon came a track in the dust of the road. He could not tell what creature it was but knew it was dangerous. He carried on walking, sat in the middle of the road was a snake. He stood and looked at him. The mouse knew he had to carry on. He hid his face and walked past the snake.
Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have a feast in my logpile house.
It's wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no I'm going to have a feast with a gruffalo.
A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?
A gruffalo why didn't you know? His eyes are orange and his tongue is black and he has purple prickles all over his back. Where are you meeting him?
Here by this lake and his favorite food is scrabbled snake.
Scrabbled snake! It's time I hid. Goodbye little mouse!
Sill old snake doesn't he know there's no such thing as a gruffalo.
Across a field the mouse saw a house. He stood outside the house and stared. He stood listening. He tried the door it swung slowly on it's great brass hinges. He looked inside but before he could move. A floorboard creaked.The mouse froze. All he could hear was footsteps coming towards him, but who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? He has knobbly knees and turned-out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange and his tongue is black. He has purple prickles all over his back.
Oh help! Oh no! It's a gruffalo!
My favorite food you'll taste good on a slice of bread!
Good? Don't call me good! I'm the scariest creature on this road. Just walk behind me and soon you'll see, everyone is afraid of me.
All right, you go ahead and I'll follow after.
They walked and walked in complete silence. Looking around to see. Listening for what could be behind or hidden in the trees.
I hear a hiss in the leaves ahead.
It's snake, why snake, hello!
Oh crumbs! Goodbye little mouse.
Before the gruffalo could say a word the snake had gone to his house and the mouse had started to walk away. The gruffalo ran after him.
You see? I told you so.
Amazing
They walked some more in silence again. Checking their surrounding. The mouse kept checking the gruffalo was behind.
I hear a hoot in the trees ahead.
It's Owl, why, owl hello!
Oh dear! Goodbye little mouse!
Off went the owl into the clouds in the sky to never be seen again. As the gruffalo stared into the sky looking after the owl the mouse moved on and started to walk at a slow pace until the gruffalo had caught up.
You see. I told you so.
Astounding!
The gruffalo then stopped and looked at the tracks in the dust.
It's Fox, why, Fox hello!
Oh help! Goodbye little mouse.
And off ran the fox into the forest to never be seen again.
Well Gruffalo you see? Everyone is afraid of me! But now my tummy's beginning to ruble and my favorite food is gruffalo crumple!
Gruffalo crumble
And quick as the wind he turned and fled. The mouse was never messed with ever again by anyone because the story of the gruffalo was passed on down the generations. All was quiet in the deep dark road. The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.

the ending

Deus ex Machina = God is in the machine (disappointment to the end of the novel)

I think the end is when the welcoming of the boy by the woman.
Page: 306
'Oh, she said, I am so glad to see you.' I think this is the end of the novel because there has been no women throughout however this little section contradicts this. If the man had been on his own he may have eaten the boy or at least not have let him come with them and have to share their supplies with him. The women could be a sign of femininity in the world or hope for the future because you need women to reproduce and make a future world. We also don't know what she is so pleased to see him although could they be sent by the mother from above in heaven to help the boy because she feels guilty for leaving him in the situation. However also seems a bit covenant that they came walking along the road and are willing to look after him. Themes that come through are of religion which links to the fact that his mother could have sent them by God, this could also be shown by the women talking about God a lot. 'She said that the breath of God was his breath yet though it pass from men to men through all  of time.'

Others think it's when they get to the beach.
'He looked at the boy. I'm sorry it's not blue.' Could show constant sadness and that this is a really disappointment because they have been looking forward to it so badly. It also continues the limited palette and the fact that they want to see more colours in the world. 'do you reckon there's any ships out there. No I don't think so.' They sort of seem to give up and have no hope now if nothing is out there. They have in a way got to the end of the road but it wasn't what they expected it to be. Could the dead fish be a symbol for what could happen to them very soon.

Another point of view is when the man dies.
p.298-300
As the story has been from the man's point of view for the whole novel how will the story continue now? When the boy continues the story it has a different narrative tone, it is a bit more hopeful.The cave is mentioned again just before death like the start of the novel. It's a sign of the light fading, could it also be a symbol that the whole world is dying not just the man. 'In that cold corridor they had reached the point of no return which was measured from the first solely by the light they carried with them.'

structure and the handling of time

What does it mean to be alive in a dead world?

Existentialism 

P.g 212
The repetition of the letter S symbolises the noise that the river makes as that is all they hear because it'masked' any other noise. It uses sibalences to do this. The short sentences with the odd long one makes you read quickly. The words are all very simple and child like. It's written like a child's story because of the way most of the sentences start with 'He' or 'They'. It is a very slow dull part of the story. However could be seen as important to the novel because it is when the man is worrying about the boy never speaking and the seeing how far they still have to go without actually knowing where exactly they are.

p.g1
'Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more grey each one then what had gone before.' This is an extract where narrative time is used as well as a reference to the passage of day. It could also indicate the the past has been a long time and nothing has ever changed.

p.g78
'He woke in the night with the cold and rose and broke up more wood for the fire.' This is a reference to the passage of the day. Could also refer to time of year for example Autumn or Winter because of the fact he was woken by the 'cold'.

p.g110
'They kicked snow over the fire and went on through the trees and circled and came back.' Could be a reference to winter from the snow. 

p.g 111
'They'd has no food and little sleep in five days.' This reference shows narrative time is telescoped, so it skips a few days.

p.g226
'They stayed at the house for four days eating and sleeping.' This is a passage which narrative time is telescoped. 

p.g263
'In the morning he built a fire and walked out on the beach while the boy slept.' This is a reference to the passage of day. 

p.g294
'Winter was already upon them.' This passage tells us that it is winter. 

5+5=1 (again still doesn't make sense to me)

1. I've learnt that women are very few in the novel and are seen as a sign of reproduction rather than a lover or friend. This also link to Oedipal's idea that and men want to kill their fathers so they can sleep with their mothers,  because he isn't used at all throughout the novel.

2. I've learnt that there is sibilance and other alterations throughout the novel to add little sounds that you may not notice the first time you read the novel. 

3. I've learnt there is a lot mystical creatures that have different symbols in the novel that I didn't understand the first time I read it.

4. I've learnt that the pace is changed by the punctuation.

5. I learnt that existentialism is when your alive in a dead world. 

1.Women

2. Sounds

3. Mystical 

4. Pace

5. Existentialism

= Tension 

Key Episodes

Key Episodes...
Pages: 1-6
It makes me feel emotions of sadness, guilt, confusion and privileged for what I have compared to them. He does this by using emotive language. 'Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth and the hours and the days of it and the years without cease.' We predict that the cart my get stolen or brake so it could no longer be of purpose to them. They might meet someone on The Road, and possible shoot them or themselves 'He took the pistol from his belt and laid it on the cloth.' There is no change of mood in this episode it is all drab, slow, dark and dusty. We could see the Gas Station as a sign of hope however it doesn't realise the tension  it is still very sceptical. 'We have to go back.' This hows that they feel they have no choice but to do the things they do like keep walking and going back to the Station for gas. From this first little bit we know it's a man and his son 'Papa'. From the word papa we get the idea that the boy is very young and reliant on the man. We also get the understanding that the man takes care of the boy 'I'm right here. I know.' The novel is simple, with a lack of punctuation, there is no climax in this section as nothing of great importance happens. The language however is sophisticated in certain areas 'glaucoma' is used to explain the eye infection instead of just saying an eye disorder. It's also symbolic of what they can see in the road, cloudy, misty and unclear. Another symbol in this section is the Beast 'a creature that raised it's dripping mouth from the rime stone pod and stared into the light with eyes dead white and sightless as the eggs of spiders.' This is a symbol of dead like creatures that are floating around in the atmosphere a bit like the dust. This episode is important because it is the first time you meet the characters, it's also the first time you imagine the setting, it also builds a atmosphere and a little tension. It establishes the desperation that is throughout the novel, the relationship between the two characters and the thought of being chased.


Pages: 50-53
This episode made me feel sad, the reason for feeling sad was that the boy wanted so badly to help this poor man who had 'been struck by lightening' and yet his father wouldn't allow them too. As this episode went on a felt a little bit better as the man had done the right thing by not letting the man have the food that they needed 'We cant share what we have or we'll do too.' The story could go on to meet some other people where the boy wants to help but the man says no, or the man could chose to help a certain few and the boy gets confused on why he helps them but not others. I suppose it is a lighter part of the book the thought of meeting someone or though there isn't a change of mood because the man doesn't help them in anyway. There is a little more tension because you don't know if the 'burntlooking' man is going to harm them in anyway like he might have a pistol like they do. We learn even more that the boy is easily scared and uses the man as a barrier for fear 'The boy hung on to his father's coat.' You could also say that that man tries to keep him from all the bad things and tries to protect him although he knows he won't be able to do it for the rest of the boys life. The language is very much the same with the simple words and variation of sentences. The main image that is foregrounded is of the man who has 'One of his eyes burnt' it goes into great detail of the man and how scary he comes across, although he doesn't try to harm them as he is tired and slowly dying. Although this an important part because it shows another side of the man but it isn't as important as some of the other episodes. It stands out because it is one of the first characters we meet in the story that isn't the main.

Pages: 62-69
This episode made me feel scared for them and it also changed my opinion of the man. My opinion changed because I never thought he would kill someone he acted completely different in this episode to any other time in the book. I also made me think about what the man did before the apocalypse because he 'fired from a two-handed position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet' and got the man exactly in the head. The story might go on to meet other people that the man might have to shoot or the boy may feel like he can't go on after what has just happened to him 'covered with gore and mute as a stone.' It is defiantly a change of mood and there is a large increase in tension, because you don't know if the boy will get hurt or if the man will miss or what will happen after the man has shot the gun' 'set off up the old roadway at a dead run'. The boy is shown as being very vulnerable in this, the man is also shown as being maybe a military man before the disaster as he knows exactly how to shoot the man and miss the boy. The relationship is also shows as the boy is so dependant on the man at that point 'he dove and grabbed the boy'. The language in this episode is quite a bit different because when the man speaks to the 'roadrat' he uses intelligent words such as 'colliculus' and 'temporal gyrus' this indicate that he may have prier training to this. The image of the man dying is given in detail 'lay with blood bubbling from the hole in his forehead.' This makes the image stick in your mind like it has in the boys and the man's. This is defiantly a key episode because it shows a different side to the man and about what will happen if anyone else tries to harm his son.

Pages: 112-121
This episode made me think of a horror film because in horror films there is always someone in the room that is locked and normally not a very nice someone or something. McCarthy made me feel like this by building up lots of tension and slowing down the novel. The story might go on with the man and boy going to another house and possibly not escaping this time from the people that have captured the people who are in the cellar and then goes on to tell us how they all escaped. The mood changes a little bit because it gets a bit more serious and scary. There is defiantly an increase of tension at this point because you don't know what's behind the door or if the captures will return at any point. 'Coming across the field towards the house were four bearded men and two women.' The characters are shown as being inquisitive but also very cautious. 'He would have ample time later to think about that.' is his comment about the pile of clothing.  The language is again very simple this might just be because the man has only had conversations with the boy for the last couple of years. The people being trapped could also be a symbol of them because they are trapped in this world of uncertainty and never knowing if that day will be their last. 'Help us, they whispered. Please help us.' It could be seen as a key episode however I don't think it is because it isn't as important as other parts such as when the man kills the 'roadrat'.

Pages: 210-215
This episode makes me feel sick at the thought of eating a human being let a lone a child, you also don't know if they only had the child to kill them and eat them which also made me feel sick. The writer does this by giving very little detail about the people or the infant on the stick 'What the boy had seen was a charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit.' From that bit we understand the child that the people were about to eat is actually a baby who never knew wrong and the life they could have had. The boy and man might have to eat a human later on as a mater of life or death, however they may go on and get court and someone else wants to eat them. This is a tense moment because the people whose food it is may come back at any time and then capture them and eat them eventually. The boy is still shown as being very young as he asks 'Can I hold your hand?' this shows he's scared and he knows the man wants to protect him from all bad things. There relationship is shown as being very strong at this point because the man even picks the boy up and caries him even though he is very weak. He does this to show the boy he does care and he knows that it was a horrible thing for him to see. The language is still the same as the rest of the novel, there is very little punctuation, however have the occasional really long sentence or really short sentence. It is a key episode because it shows how close the boy and man are even if they don't talk very much,  have very little conversation, or show affection to each other. It also stands out because of the baby being eaten which is quite a gruesome thing.

Pages: 227-230
It makes me feel emotions of happiness yet still cautious for them. The fact that they have made it to the coast shows that they must have come a long way, also because 'They ate well' it kinda shows that things are looking up because they have enough food to eat well instead of saving it for other days. The plot could go on to when their back in really difficult situations where they have no food or clean water. They could also end up in a town with lots of other people that have joined together to survive. There is a change of mood and it is a lighter moment in the novel. I guess it's lighter because it's the first time the boy has shown signs of happiness 'We did good, didn't we Papa?' and although they know they've got a long way to go they look on the positive side of it all. 'He knew that he was placing hopes where he'd no reason to.' The characters don't really develop in this section apart from having more hope that they're going to live and get to the coast. The language is simple again showing there simplicity and how little things such as canned foods and new to them shoes. This is defiantly a key episode because they have a sign of hope and things seem better. This bit really sticks out in the novel although there are no chapters because this is the first time they mention something none related to the road, the beach. There's also the disappointment on the boys face because the sea isn't blue, this can also show how we imagined the sea to always look like.

Pages: 270-278
This episode made me feel really sorry for them as they had done quite a bit of work for the few things that had and yet someone came along and just took them. McCarthy does this by making them out to be very innocent and as though they have never stolen anything from others before. The plot could go on for them to meet the people that stole their stuff and they may have to shoot one of them or they may be captured by the people who took their stuff. This is sort of an increased tension part because it makes you question what they will do if they don't get their cart back or they end up meeting the people who took the cart and what will the man do? It again shows the boys innocents because he begins 'to cry' about the cart being taken  and would probably prefer to stop and do nothing. The man is also shown in a different way because he makes catching the people into a game for the little boy rather than just walking after them like they walk everyday. The language is simple and has speech of basic things they need to talk about rather then talk about anything else. For example the man comforts the boy but in very few words, 'Stay with me, the man said. Stay right with me.' Could the things being taken be a simple for someone going to be taken away by death either the boy or man? It is a key episode because we want to read on to see what happens.

quotations

'THIS IS MY CHILD, HE SAID. I WASH A DEAD MAN'S BRAINS OUT OF HIS HAIR. THAT IS MY JOB.'
In this quote it suggests the genre of the novel is going to be horror, with the imagery of washing the boys hair of 'dead man's brains'. It tells us that the characters are in danger of others and possibly each other. From this quote we also know their must be a lot of death and violence throughout the novel as the man doesn't act as though it's a major issue and that he can saw what happened but there is nothing he can do to change it but 'wash a dead man's brains out of his hair.' When the man says 'that is my job.' he is suggesting that he only knows to look after the boy and feels he has no choice but to. It could also imply that the boy is quite young and is reliant on the man to survive and couldn't if something happened to him. There are two main themes in this quote death maybe murder and relationships. The main relationship is between the man and his we presume son but he may not be his biological father. They have quite a strong relationships has they are both reliant on each other but in different ways, the man because he has a reason to live which is the boy and the boy because he couldn't live without them. 

'YES I AM, HE SAID. I AM THE ONE.'
This quote could suggest that he may be of great power or the chosen one for a journey. It could also be seen that he is being very blunt and isn't happy about being 'the one'. The boy comes across as though he feels he has a task to do in the future of some point. It also shows his immaturity because he comes across as stubborn and as though he will feel no other answer. From this quote we also know that what happens throughout is from the mans point of view and not the boys. Another thing that can be noticed from this quote is that the language is very simple much the same as the rest of the novel this may show the unintelligent of the characters, however could also be an indication that they are fed up of talking to each other and have nothing else to say. The themes in this quote suggest a journey of some sort. The relationship could be seen as a difference in opinions, meaning they don't always see eye to eye with each other. It also comes across that the boy feels he has had a worse time than the man throughout his life.   

'TOMATOES, PEACHES, BEANS, APRICOTS. CANNED HAMS. CORNED BEEF.'
In this quote it comes across that the novel is a story of survival. We know this from the foods being named, because to us these things don't seem very special however to them they are a sign of hope. It also shows how the characters can be easily pleased because they are so happy to find these basic foods, that we take advantage for today and could also be an indication that they are starving. The story could be about characters trying to survive alone without the use of technological and essentials that we rely on so much today. The themes that come across in this quote are of starvation and living without. The only thing it tells us about the character is that they are hungry and grateful to see all this food. The story may be told by giving detail on the little things that don't really matter to us in day to day life.

'ARE WE STILL THE GOOD GUYS, HE SAID.'
This suggests that it could be a novel about crime and punishment, this could be seen by the indication of the  'good guys'. The boy is questioning his papa at this point which shows he has doubts in him from some hidden reason. Meaning them as 'the good guys' must have done something wrong in his eyes and he doesn't know whether the man did the right thing. The themes of doubt and punishment come through because he could be scared of the consequences of his actions. The relationship between the two characters comes out more as it shows that the boy although reliant and depend on the man still questions some of his choices and thinks he does wrong. It could also indicate that the boy is young and easily confused and needs someone to comfort him and tell him he's done or doing the correct thing. The story might go on to show the vulnerability of the boy and how dependent he is on the man, and final what he is going to do if something forbids him from being safe with the man. 

'WE SHOULD GO, PAPA, HE SAID. YES, THE MAN SAID. BUT HE DIDN'T.'
The word 'Papa' suggests that the boy is still young and dependant on the man. From this quote it suggests that the novel could be a type of horror where a child is being put in circumstances they dont feel comfortable in. It suggests that the man wants to comfort him although also feels that they are doing the correct thing by not moving or that he wants to connect to the place that they are. From this point it might go on to show when they leave the place that he obviously connected to. Something horrific could also happen to them. The themes in this quote are relationships, it shows how although the boy wants something the man doesn't think that the boy is right, so he makes the boy stay in this uncomfortable place. The story might be a man and his son in an abandoned house and the boy feels like they could be under danger so they should leave though the man is too interested in the place they are.

'THE SNOW FELL NOR DID IT CEASE TO FALL.'
This quote is pathetic fallasy, as it uses the snow to suggest the cold and never ending misery that they are going through. The snow also highlights their suffering and endless journey, it could also be an idication that someone is going to die and be left alone in the cold snow and the other may have to carry on. The themes in this quote could be of feeling alone and as though there is no hope that they will excape from this situation. It could also show that their relationship is falling apart like the snow is falling from the sky, it also shows that although that there has been an apocalypse that the weather carries on. The story might go on to tell us about how they escape from all this snow and what happens to them while there and after they left.

'OKAY? OKAY.'
In this the father is asking for reasurance that the boy is 'okay' and isn't just agreeing with the man for arguments sake. The novel may be a journey of discovery, they might be going to find something and the man wants to check that the boy is 'okay' with what they are doing. The story might go on to tell us about the discovery they are on. It shows that their relationship isn't very strong because the man has to check the boy is 'okay' whereas if they had a strong relationship then he would know by the boys attitude.

'THEY SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE TUB AND PULLED THEIR SHOES ON AND THEN HE HANDED THE BOY THE PAN AND SOAP AND HE TOOK THE STOVE AND THE LITTLE BOTTLE OF GAS AND THE PISTOL AND WRAPPED IN THEIR BLANKETS AND THEY WENT BACK ACROSS THE YARD TO THE BUNKER.'
In this quote it suggests that they try and wash regularly although they have to change their circumstances all the time. The type of novel could be on survival. The story could go on to show that they don't get to wash again and their circumstances change to be worse then they were. The themes in this are survival and relationships. It shows how their relationship is quite strong because they wash together, and how the boy want to help the man by carrying the pan. In this the characters don't give much away about themselves but how they have to look after themselves and how little they have. The 'bunker' indicates that they are in hiding of something or someone. This can ad confusion as they have just spent so much time making themselves clean and yet they go and hide it all away. 

'TOLLING IN THE SILENCE THE MINUTE OF THE EARTH'
From the silence of everything but the bell you could indicate this as a sign of death because the church bells are always played at a funeral, although you could also be a sign of a journey still to come because at weddings the bells are played and a wedding is the start of a new journey. The story might be about someone who thinks they are the last person on the earth trying to survive and not get killed by maybe others or something else. Themes that come across in this are suffering and the effects of silence. It doesn't give much away about the characters apart form that they feel alone and possibly isolated. The story might be told as a diary entries of everyday although they may lose track of days in the silence 'of the earth'.

'SHE WAS GONE AND THE COLDNESS OF IT WAS HER FINAL GIFT.'
The novel could be about a love loss and how her leaving has an effect on him. The man that lost his lover could resent their child because he might see him as the cause of her killing herself. The themes in this is love and loss, the love bit from the way he sounds 'cold' himself and loss bit by the 'gone'. From the way he says 'gone' he makes it sound as though she felt nothing about leaving him. It doesn't say much about these characters but says about the man's previous lover. The man might tell the story of his lover and how the man is to blame and may be attack the child for taking away his love.

5+5=1 (which makes no sense)

1) I learnt that The Road is a 'road story' which is a type of story when the characters go on some sort of journey with no aim or destination. It is an American style that is not a quest just a journey with details on the people that are met on the way.
2) I learnt that The Road is a 'post-modern novel' meaning it is not written in the traditional way. This is shown with having no speech marks, lack of punctuation, the amount of short no flowing sentences, the fact there is no chapters, and that the whole novel is just one long chronological journey.
3) I learnt that The Road is a 'post-apocalyptic novel' because it is set after (post) the end of the world (apocalyptic) when there is a very minute population left.
4) I learnt that The Road features 'Deathscapes' this is a type of dead landscape where it seems there is no one living. It is very typical of post-apocalyptic novels.
5) I learnt that The Road has a lot of 'low-cultural references' that are similar to American horror movies such as: 'Dawn of the Dead', 'Last House on the Left' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

Add

1) Journey

2) Post-Modern

3) Post-Apocalyptic

4) Deathscapes

5) References 

Equals 

1) Destination 

Things that remind me of The Road or similar things