Exercise 1
First person narrator: I pushed the cart and both I and the boy carried knapsacks. In the knapsacks, there were a few essential things in case we had to abandon the cart and make a run for it. Clamped to the handle of the cart was a chrome motorcycle mirror that I used to watch the road behind us.
Second person narrator: You shifted the pack higher that your shoulders and looked over the wasted country. The road was empty. Below in the little valley the still grey serpentine of a river. Motionless and precise. Along the shore a burden of dead reeds. Are you okay? You said. The boy nodded. You set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.”
I sense particular choice of omniscient narrator, was picked to match the story’s grim, post apocalyptic atmosphere: Our early narration of the characters, trying to survive in a dangerous, dead land, is reminiscent of the narration of a nature film; ambiguous and observing as if the characters were animals on a savage savanna, ready for the next slaughter. This type of narration keeps the readers engaged in ongoing suspense for the characters safety as we desperately attempt to understand their tragic world’s events & background.
Exercise 2
We find the characters placed in their wild settings. We do not know their names – could be that in their world, names are no longer as important as staying alive. What we do know they are connected as father and son. We also know they are in a tough situation. This is the part indicating that they’re in some kind of danger and need to stay on watch and prepare for potential violence:’In the knapsacks were essential things in case they had to abandon the cart and make a run for it. Clamped to the handle of the cart was a chrome motorcycle mirror that he used to watch the road behind them.’ These details seem to be enough to trigger enough empathy and curiosity in order to create a fictional bond to the nameless characters.
A chrome motorcycle mirror, tells us the story takes place in contemporary times, yet there are small clues telling us something is terribly wrong, something ill is happened to nature: “He shifted the pack higher on his shoulders and looked out over the wasted country.’ Along the shore a burden of dead reeds. They set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.” This is an indication that the story is post contemporary fiction, possibly following either a natural or man made environmental disaster.
The combined information of having a back mirror on a shopping cart, plus the empty road. Tells us they must keep watch. That others appearing might not be welcomed and potentially dangerous. This leaves us with another indication of danger.
The fact they’re in danger, carrying all their belongings in a shopping cart, plus emergency escape packs, shows they’re potential emergency refugees, traveling to safety.
The road symbolizes both the place and the journey we take. It is mentioned the characters have nothing left but each other, the road is their entire life and only hope.
Poetic devices used in the snippet from the book are: Rhythm, in general word structure. Certain Alliteration: “Clamped to the handle of the cart was a chrome motorcycle mirror” We can find powerful Simile / Imagery: “They set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.”
McCarthy uses un-punctuated, short descriptive sentences as another tool emphasizing the disrupted, eerie reality and apocalyptic vibe of his story.
The following lines trigger imagery of a post-apocalyptic world :
“The road was empty.”- here is a hint that there aren’t many people or vehicles left around. “Below in the little valley the still grey serpentine of a river. Motionless and precise.” A grey, motionless serpentine – an imagery indicating the river is no longer flowing or living, but resembling something dead, possibly something evil in the biblical associative sense. A ghost of a river. “Along the shore a burden of dead reeds.” – additional indication of environmental trouble, where even reeds, a strong and hardy plant, are withered and dead. “They set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.” The sentence raises an image of a dark gray reality. Leaving us wondering how large amount of ash reaches the road? We can imagine a large scale fire or possibly a nuclear explosion.
McCarthy choice of extremely simple, short sentences helps portray the urgency and danger in the character’s world. As survival is key – There’s no time for detailed prose, drama and long conversations while the heroes are in hiding for their lives. In hindsight, it’s yet another clue that talking has become challenging due to trauma. As the characters are suffering from great physical and mental stress.
The Road is truly as quoted: “A work of such terrible beauty that you will struggle to look away.” (The Times). The story naturally drew me as a reader, using emotions such as: Mystery, curiosity, intrigue, empathy and pity. It is very hard to put away before knowing the characters are safe from violence and starvation. I was pretty astonished how much feeling could be triggered to nameless, anonymous characters, just on the basis of human solidarity to the safety of the father and child. Of course the best part as a reader, was them finding a well stocked bomb shelter on the brink of starvation. Knowing they were well fed, bathed and sleeping in clean beds was pure satisfaction.
As there’s little factual background information provided, the story leaves intentional gaps to be filled by our individual imaginations. Oddly, it feels extremely entertaining to make up these facts, as if we’re touching an object in the dark and trying to guess what it is – I invented the following missing facts: The father’s cause of death is a combination of TB and radiation exposure disease. Disaster background: Following a nuclear war, the world is left covered by sun blocking radioactive fog. This caused cooling climate change and general toxicity.
So much is left unknown, leaving us readers craving for more: We never learn their names. We never learnt exactly what happened to cause the death of the world or what happens to the boy in the hands of the family.
Creative Arts Today 