Minimalism In The Road

It no longer comes as a surprise when writers include a deeper meaning, or symbolism within their work. A prime example of this style of writing is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy uses a minimalist approach, but almost every line has a meaning, and even the characters are a symbol. Although no names are ever given, each still have a unique personality. Characters within the novel tend to represent a trait of humanity, long believed to be lost.
The novel covers closely the point of view of The Man, who we later learn is not only a father, but also was a husband. Now that civilization and the world are in shambles, he believes it is his duty to carry out justice as he finds necessary. The Man has the strong belief that there should be no

mercy, and in most cases, his punishments for the people who cross him are worse than the crime. Though warped, he can be seen as a symbol for justice in the post apocalyptic world.
The Boy, the son of The Man, has only known the destroyed world which he was born into. However, he grew up under his father’s guidance and was able to learn humane traits. These traits were later lost by his father, but The Boy continued to carry them with him. As he came across signs of life while travelling to the coast, he wanted to help and save those he could, whatever the sacrifice. His father would not allow that, and The Boy could not go against his elder. The Boy represented hope, sacrifice, and humanity, which had already been mostly lost.
The Woman manifests in The Man’s dreams, as a comforting presence.

Flashbacks throughout the novel reveal that she was the wife of The Man and the mother of The Boy. The trials that came due to the destruction of civilization took too large of a toll on her, and so she decided to end her own life, an act of desperation. The Woman comes off as reassuring, but as the story progresses the role she represents changes to the loss of hope, beckoning The Man to join her in the afterlife.
As the story is progressing and the book is almost to its resolution, The Man and The Boy come across another man who has stolen all of their survival items. The Thief is forced to endure the punishment decided by The Man, the loss of all his clothes and being left for dead. “I’m starving, man. You’d have done the same” (McCarthy, 257). The Thief openly speaks of his misery, becoming the figure of desperation within the novel.
No line of dialogue or narration was wasted. Cormac McCarthy chose his words carefully to get his ideas and symbols across in the simplest way. Each character that was introduced into The Road, is a tool used to portray traits of humanity. The different personalities and what they represent are not hard to decipher if enough attention is given to

detail.