Fairy Tale in the style of The Road

Winnie the Pooh

   We'll go look for it, he called out.

   Sometimes when people have finished taking a person's house there are bits that they don't want and are glad for the person to take back. So I thought if we just went-

   Come on.

   In little time they got to the corner of the field by the side of the pine wood.

   There. Not a stick left. I've still got all this snow. Don't complain.

   But the boy wasn't listening he was listening to something else.

   Can you hear it, he said

   What is it? Somebody laughing.

    Listen.

   They both listened. A deep gruff voice singing that the more it snowed the more it went on snowing and a high pitched voice tiddeley pomming.

   It's Pooh, said the boy

   Possibly, said Eyeore.

   And Piglet.

   Probably. What we want is a trained bloodhound.

   The words of the song changed suddenly. 

The Ending

   Deus ex machina- God is in the machine: It's something that solves all problems e.g. a magic ring/potion. Used in the ending of The Road.
   I feel that the ending starts when the father dies on page 300 'His father was cold and stiff' and the boy accepts that he's dead on page 301 'He's dead' and then the boy's story begins when he says goodbye to his father's corpse 'I won't forget'. The boy's journey continues in 'walked back out to the road' and his new life begins.

5+5=1

   I've learnt that the book directly references horror movies. McCarthy also lengthens and shortens sentences to build tension and expand and contract time. Key events stand out in the book despite there being no chapters to define them. There's a continuing theme of coldness and decay. The man is constantly trying to distance himself from the boy.

1. horror

2. tension

3. events

4. theme

5. distance

1. Suspense

Structure & Time

Page 62: 'The day seemed almost warm' suggests it's summer which could explain why they 'slept' in the day as the nights are shorter

Page 32: 'The nights now only slightly less black' It's spring and nighttime is in the past 'dream'

Page 113: 'ample time' suggests that they have no rush or deadline and that it doesn't matter how much time they take even though their time is running out

Page 91: 'after a while' time is passing but they have no way of measuring it or it's not important to them anymore as even if they could tell how much time had gone past it wouldn't mean anything anymore

The Opening

  Immediately suggests it's a dark setting 'dark and the cold' Darkness is emphasised 'dark beyond darkness' to suggest that it is relentless and that even in the daytime there is little light 'days more gray'. 'Glaucoma' is used as a metaphor to represent this dimming but it could also be interpreted as representing the extinction of  human life/morals as people become more and more desperate to survive as highlighted in 'precious breath'. The 'stinking robes' gives the idea of uncleanliness or suffering. This could also be suggestive of the end of civilised society as they no longer have the option to clean the robes or change them as they would otherwise. 'Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth' suggests that time is limited but drawn out as 'tolling' suggests a long and slow beat which helps to illustrate the idea of prolonged suffering. The minutes belonging to the 'earth' is suggestive of an apocalypse but that also the earth that people knew and survive on will soon perish. In the man's dream the 'creature' signifies that nowhere is safe and gives the impression that they are being watched or hunted. It could also be symbolic of what people have become, that they have become animalistic as a result of their instinct to survive as well as that the danger that they face is 'soundless'. This combined gives the impression that they are in a dark, dangerous place where their time is running out but it's not clear exactly when.
   Plot progression-They will be 'moving south' which gives the direction of their journey but could also symbolise the gradual deterioration of their journey.

Key Episodes

Coming across the man who has been struck by lightening 50-53
   This episode illustrates the helplessness and the suffering 'dragging one leg slightly' of those on the road as the man is just as helpless as they are and the man and the boy risk their survival if they try to help the man struck by lightening. It gives the reader a sense of despair that even though the man clearly needs help, the way in which the man and the boy respond to him show that they have to be uncaring or they will suffer a similar fate that awaits the man. McCarthy achieves this by keeping the man anonymous to suggest that this could be anyone as mentioned earlier 'who is anybody?' and by not giving him a name it suggests that they are all the same on the road and gives the book a cold tone. There is a suggestion in how the plot will continue as the man (as in the father) places out all of his belongings 'Like gaming cards' as if to suggest that he's gambling with his life as his survival on the road is not guaranteed. The fact that he also leaves them behind could also be seen to symbolise him leaving behind his humanity/civilised ways. The mood at the beginning of the episode is that of uncertainty as they don't know whether the man will harm them 'they came to a set of tracks'. This then turns to apprehension from the boy 'What should we do Papa?' as well as in 'he was as burntlooking as the country'. This then turns to despair as illustrated by the boy 'Can't we help him?' after which the mood turns cold 'nothing can be done' this is then continued for the rest of the episode. This coldness expressed by the man to the child's pleading suggests that he is distancing himself from the boy by not attempting to console him. This stands out in the novel as it shows the suffering and and the coldness required to survive.

Shooting the 'roadrat' 62-69
   This episode highlights the man and child's morality and that the road is a dangerous place as well as showing how limited their protection is as after the shooting they only have a single bullet left. This helps to convey to the reader a sense of urgency and tension that accompanies their fight for survival. McCarthy installs a sense of danger 'He raised his head slowly, the pistol in his hand'. 'They came shuffling through the ash' builds tension as it is not immediately clear what the danger is. This is built on by the suggestion that they are armed and outnumber the man and child 'clubs in their hands'. Fear is also introduced 'frozen with fear' which is then emphasised by the fast paced sentences indicated by the punctuation 'We have to run. Don't look back. Come on.' The survival instinct is also highlighted in 'gasping for breath' as if they are being hunted. The name 'roadrat' is also suggestive that these people are vermin which increases the sense of danger. McCarthy uses 'silence' to build the tension by pausing events only to build it back up again as in 'Shh he said, Shh' this repetition not only conveys urgency but also tells us about the man's relationship with the child as in this context he is not trying to comfort the child but hush him quickly so that they survive. This survival instinct is also highlighted in describing the roadrat as an 'animal' which suggests that he would harm them. This is emphasised when the roadrat 'grabbed the boy' as this is the point the tension has been building up to. The tension is then released after the roadrat is shot 'hole in his forehead' The suggestion for the plot to progress is that they will continue on the road 'staggered on another half mile' and that after this episode there will be more where the man and child are in danger. This is key to the story as this means that the man and child have only one bullet which means that the man would have to end the child's life if they were in danger so that he wouldn't suffer.

Finding the cellar of naked and mutilated people 112-121
   In this episode the tension is built by the boy's reaction to the house 'What if there's someone here' and 'We should go, Papa' which gives the first suggestion that all is not as it seems. The description of the grand, dilapidated house that is slowly decaying. This is emphasised by the slow pace of the prose as indicated by the long sentences. The only time McCarthy leaves this is when the man finds the first indication that people were preparing supplies 'Clothes and shoes. Belts. Coats.' This is especially highlighted in 'There's a reason why this is locked' The sense of fear is built up in 'I am scared'. Just before the man is about to find the people McCarthy builds the tension by varying the pace 'Clay floor. An old mattress darkly stained' until the tension is released in ' one by one they slowly turned and blinked in the pitiful light. Help us, they whispered. Please help us.'  The urgency is then emphasised in 'Hurry.' to show that they have to escape or they will suffer the same fate as the people. The danger is then reintroduced in 'he went cold all over' at the sight of the 'four bearded men and two women' walking towards the house. 'tore through the house' helps to raise the  pace. The tension is then built once more 'This is the moment' and in 'Are they going to kill us' and is sustained in the lack of movement and the silence as the man is trying to 'listen' until it is released in 'Are they coming? No.' The plot progression could be shown when the father tells the son how to kill himself with the pistol if they are  in danger 'put it in your mouth and point it up' which is then followed up with the child's 'terror'. As the father is prepared to instruct the child on how to kill himself it shows that the father is unemotional and unattached. This is important to the plot as it helps to reiterate that they are close to dying.

The baby on the spit 210-215
   The episode begins with thick tension as indicated by the lack of motion at the beginning to give it an eerie feel 'listening', 'still air' and 'No sound'. There is also the introduction of 'fear' and wariness as they 'circled the fire' as if they are unsure of it. Tension is also built by the slow passing of time 'listen for a long time'. Danger is also hinted at by the boy 'could be a trap'. The tension is drawn out further still 'They waited' after which the situation is diffuse slightly by the man 'nothing to see' and shrugs off the boy's concern 'It's really scary, Papa. There's no-one here it's okay'. The pace of the prose is then sped up 'He looked quickly to see what had happened. What is it? he said.'. The tension is then released upon revealing the cause of the boy's horror 'charred human infant'.  The relationship between the father and son is shown afterwards when they are reflecting on the event 'The boy said: If we had that little baby it could go with us. Yes it could. Where did they find it. He didn't answer.' this shows the father trying to keep the boy from getting upset about the true nature of what had happened and that they were still good. This is important to the novel as it illustrates the desperate measures that people will go to to survive when they have no other options  It also shows how barbaric and cold people can be and this is one of the themes in the novel.  

Getting to the shore 227-230
   This episode shows the main goal of the man's journey: to reach the coast. During this they abandon the cart that they had used for the journey so far 'pushing the wheelbarrow' and change their clothing with what they could find 'work boots'. This suggests a new era in the man and child's journey. Unusually, there is a clear mention of time 'two days later' before they set off again. This helps to mark the change in the characters appearances. McCarthy also uses pathetic fallacy 'the weather had cleared' which suggests a more positive mood 'We did good, didn't we Papa?' this is also illustrated by 'They ate well'. This positivity is continued by 'hopes' that it would be 'brighter in a world where for all he knew grew darker daily'. This  positivity is then contrasted by the potential plot progression that the man is going to die 'a man waking in a grave' and that many had died from 'cholera' and then the decaying theme returns 'stained and rotted coffin floors.'. Time is extended again 'Long days' however there is the suggestion that they are now finally making 'progress' until they finally arrive at the 'gray beach'. This is important to the story because the genre of the book is based around a journey and this is when the character's finally reach one of their destinations. This could also be symbolic to represent the end of the man's life.

The theft of the man and the boy's belongings 270-278
   At the beginning of the episode McCarthy begins to build tension as the man discovers that their belongings are missing 'He stopped and looked at the beach. Oh Christ, he said. Oh Christ ' this is achieved by shortening the sentences to build a sense of urgency. As he draws the pistol it shows that he is willing to use the last bullet to defend their chances of survival 'They took everything'. The description of the thief helps to illustrate the theme of suffering 'the fingers of his right hand had been cut away'. The man had taken all of the thief's belongings as a punishment for taking theirs which shows how cold the man has become however the boy remains the same 'Just help him'. The man and child's relationship is highlighted in 'You're not the one who has to worry about everything' as the man still takes responsibility for the child and their survival but the child shows that he is not as naive as McCarthy has presented him as he replies 'Yes I am, he said. I am the one' which shows that he knows that he will have to continue the journey without his father at some point as he has a better chance of surviving than the man does. There is also a tension when they camp for the night as the boy acts as a conscience for the man who is trying to reassure the boy 'I wasn't going to kill him' and the tension builds through the lack of speech.The episode ends when the tension is built even further by the boy who replies 'But we did kill him'. This is particularly dramatic as this ends the notion that the boy has had along the journey up until this point that they have always been the 'good guys' and this change is crucial to how the story evolves.
 

Images that remind me of the novel

5+5=1

1. The novel is post-modern as it is set in a modern time in the future but it happens after an apocalypse
2. The novel comes under the 'journey' genre as it features characters taking a journey along a road
3. It doesn't feature punctuation to give it a cold tone because it does not express emotion
4. Mc Carthy was inspired to write The  Road after taking a trip to the desert with his son and it reminded him of an apocalyptic landscape. He was also influenced by conversations with his brother as to what they would do in an apocalpse
5. The coldness of the novel illustrates the grim reality of fighting for survival

1. modern
2. journey
3. cold
4. inspired
5. survival


1. apocalypse!

Quotations

'This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job'
 This creates the impression of a parent-child relationship. It also suggests that it is set in a violent, bleak environment where death is common as the character states that he washes brains out of the child's hair as if it were normal or mundane. It also seems that this is the character's only purpose as it is his 'job'. it is also stated in a very matter of fact way which gives it a cold, uncaring tone. This is suggestive of a horror genre.

'Yes I am, he said. I am the one' 
There is an impression of loneliness in 'one' as well as an element of self importance as if there was no one else able to do what he has to do highlighted in 'I am'. This could be suggestive of a heroic story/genre and gives a lighter tone as 'yes' is positive. It also sounds very final or accepting as it is short and matter of fact. The lack of punctuation gives it a monotonous, fatigued tone which could also suggest that he is accepting his fate even though it seems to be uncertain.

'Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef.'
It is unclear what genre this could be but the way that it's worded begins with a list which would suggest that there are too many items to mention individually and then it is separated through punctuation to suggest that they actually have very little. It can also be seen to be ordered by foods that will perish quickly verses foods that will last for a long time which are separated from the list as it suggests that this will be all that is left and represents how little food they can find and that each food is seen as a separate meal rather than ingredients to be combined together. The full stops also suggest that their supplies are finite and that they are likely to run out of food quickly.

'Are we still the good guys, he said'
This is suggestive of a heroic genre where the characters are clearly defined as good or bad, that things are very black and white and this helps to illustrate the dark, bleak tone of the novel. It also features a questioning of morals 'are we still' which suggests that the conditions that he is facing make it difficult to distinguish between good and bad and that they began with good intentions but events along the way have called that into question. The lack of a question mark suggests that the character no longer sees what he's saying as a question, merely a statement. 

'We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't'
The way the dialogue is phrased and the lack of punctuation could be interpreted in two ways: firstly that the man agreed that they should move but was unable to and secondly 'Yes, the man said. But he didn't' can be taken to mean that he is leaving things unsaid or that he is hiding something from his son or a suggestion of deceit. This quote is suggestive of a dysfunctional father-child relationship as the child calls him 'Papa' which gives an impression of affection which is contrasted in the father's speech he is described as 'the man' this suggests that the father has distanced himself from the child or views him from a cold, detached perspective. 'the man' gives him an anonymous identity and implies that this could be anyone other than the 'Papa' that the child sees him as.

'The snow fell nor did it cease to fall'
There is a suggestion that the snow is relentless and suggestive of a theme of coldness symbolised by the snow through pathetic fallacy. The constant cold suggests that their environment is deathly and unforgiving towards the people withing it. It would seem to be set in winter and does not fall into any specific genre.

'Okay? Okay.'
Implies that they are in an unstable environment/situation where they are having to question/assess that they are alright. As the question is answered with the same word it would suggest that this questioning is continuous and that it can never really be answered or that any other answer is not an option.

'He sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and then he handed the boy a pan and soap and he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets they went back across the yard to the bunker'
There is a theme of cleansing in 'tub' and 'soap' but also in the way that the man has to heat the water for them to wash with a portable gas stove suggests that they have to boil water to decontaminate it before they can wash. As the stove is portable it suggests that they are always travelling which would fit with the journey genre. Their cleanliness seems limited as the man only carries a 'little' bottle of gas to provide them with hot water. This also suggests that they are in a desolate house and that there are no facilities that work. This also emphasises that their supplies are limited and that they have very few possessions. The pistol suggests that they are not in a safe environment and that they need to keep it close to them to stay alive. It also suggests that they are in constant danger. The fact that they leave a house where the bath would be situated and go back to a 'bunker' suggests that the house isn't secure and could also be interpreted to mean that they are survivors and that any kind of civilisation has been lost as they don't stay in the house. It could also be taken to mean that they have abandoned any kind of security associated with homeliness or family.

'Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth'
'Tolling' suggests that the silence is regular and constant but it is also an oxymoron as tolling is signified by a bell being repeatedly struck to send a message or mark time passing which is contrasted by 'silence'. 'minutes' suggests that there is little time left belonging to the 'earth'. This describes an apocalyptic feel which would be associated with the genre as it suggests a theme of time running out.

'She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift' 
This suggests emptiness 'gone' and a theme of 'coldness' and that she was indifferent to what the effect that her absence would have. It suggests that she died in 'final' and gift suggests that she died willingly or committed suicide to help someone 'gift' suggests that it was a selfless act. This suggests that it would be part of a genre that featured a theme of death such as horror highlighted by the theme of coldness.