Isolation In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

Love can be beyond language. In the novel of The Road written by Cormac McCarthy examines father and son’s relationship in isolation. The writer portrays destruction and distinction between survival and death through the experiences of travelling on the road. The father and son’s love are the support that motivates one another. In this paper, the theme of hope can be recognized through the motivation and inspiration of the characters’ connection.
The father, who is unnamed and also the narrator of the novel, values his son as sacred and willing to make sacrifices to allow him to live on. During the moment of walking through the town, the father encounters danger and immediately “[grabs] the boy” and “[pushes] the boy’s head down [as trying]

to cover him with his body” (263). Since the mother of the family left them when the boy was little, he is considered as the only source of light in the man’s world, who is precious and beloved. As mentioned by the man, “the boy [is] all that stood between him and death” (29). The father thinks about giving up his life when his wife died, yet he realizes the importance of his role to his son and how much he is in need of him. This is also shown when his son insists on seeing and meeting another youth before keeping on their journey of travelling south. The son responses the man’s question of “do you want to die? Is that what you want?” by commenting “I don’t care” (85). After receiving the reaction from the boy, the father senses disappointment and realizes the mistake of questioning him. He understands how significant the boy represents and being frightens to lose him. Furthermore, he concerns about leaving his beloved alone in the world and without support when he recognizes he does not have long to live (238). While the boy symbolizes everything to the man, the same applies to the boy.
In the novel, the boy is also an unnamed character who is around 8 years old, although it is not specified.

As the boy has no one to trust and believe in except his father, he is only willing to live if his father remains with him. When the man realizes he is unable to keep on the journey with the boy, he refuses to leave the man by answering “you’re going to be okay, papa. I want to be with you” when he asks him to “keep going south [and] do everything the way [they] did it” (278). From an adolescent perspective, he fears the uneasiness of being without his father who is the only support of him. As his father is the only person whom he can depend on and receive love from, he is incapable to imagine how to survive in loneliness. Even though the father and son are the essential for each other, they are divergent in terms of personality. The son is a resilient, as well as sensitive and compassionate character compares to his father. In many circumstances, he often shows sympathy towards others while the father is being protective and concerns about keeping alive from danger. Moreover, his priority is to be kind and provide comfort to others other than being harmful. The boy constantly inquires and ensures “[they] wouldn’t ever eat anybody” despite the condition (128). This performs innocence and examines the perspective of being peaceful in the boy’s point of view. Although father and son are the only encourages of each other in isolation, they frequently acquire hope in a despairing

environment.
Throughout seeking for survival in death and a separated world, the father and son explore the possibility of accomplishing hope as long as never give up. During the journey, they experience lack of food for consecutive days and unable to maintain energy and health which results in dehydration. However, under the encouragement from father, the boy successfully enters the house and is able to locate food ingredients as green beans, tomatoes, corn, new potatoes (206). This illustrates human is unable to predict the future by disapproving achievement until they have attempt the possibilities. With the example of the main narrator and character, they constantly reassure one another by providing confidence and strength. The man in many instances advises his son not to give up as “[he] won’t let [him]” (189). While the adolescent observes and be attentive to his father’s advises, he finally agrees to keep on with his adventure. Even though the characters in the novel often requires to be offensive and aware of their actions to avoid letting their guard down, the son learns from his father that he can obtain hope as long as believing in himself.
In conclusion of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road illustrates the connection of family relationship between the man and the boy in isolation. Even though the son is no longer with his father, he is still able to keep on with the journey through the support and confidence that his father provides him. Also, the realization of hope has proven to never give up in a hopeless world. Despite the circumstances, as long as there is belief, the road would still be available for more unexpected experiences.