Water, cleansing and washing Suggests some kind of cleansing of all the destruction. Also symbolises the boy and the man trying to maintain some form of hygeine to show that they have not completely regressed from civilisation
The mountain Shows that nature can still prevail from the destruction. Possibly reresents the challenges they face along the road as well as the struggles that people face to survive
The sea This shows the decay of the boy and the man's dreams as their goal is to reach the coast but when they get there the boy is disappointed by the fact that the sea is grey like much of the scenery in the novel rather than the blue that his father remembers. This symbolises that the world that the man lived in has changed to the one that the boy lives in and will remember. The decay is also highlighted at the end where a dead fish washes up on the shore showing that there is little life left.
Ash Suggests that the earth has died, symbolic of a cremation. The ash will turn to dust showing that once all the life is gone there will be nothing left to show their existence. It could also represent hope that life will return as it represents a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Fire Shows the destruction and devastation but could also suggest a beauty about it as at the same time it is the fire that keeps the boy and the man from dying in the cold and 'carry the fire' is also symbolic of the spirit and determination they need to survive.
Sight/Sightlessness Sight/lack of it would suggest that man was unable to look forward and pre-empt the apocalypse but the sight symbolises that it is crucial to survive as if they were blind they would not be able to escape from trouble.
Seeds Represents new life/beginnings but as there are no nutrients in the soil as the land is 'desolate' the seed cannot be nurtured to grow and regenerate the world/restore what used to be.
Coca Cola can Symbolises what America used to be. Also represents comercialism and how materialistic people used to be before the apocalypse. Represents the death of American society and values as the brand is distinctly American but also shows the impact that it's had worldwide as has the apocalypse
Other metaphors/symbols The boy represents the goodness and the hope that many others on the road seem to have lost. If he survives long enough he represents the possibility to restore some kind of order or society as he lives out his life, however the regeneration that he could possibly symbolise is limited because when he dies the rest of human life seems likely to end as the lack of women in the novel suggests that reproduction would not be possible.
Monday 3 December 2012
Sunday 2 December 2012
Voice and Point of View
Voice and POV in page 28: Unattributed dialogue or thoughts. Omniscient 3rd person narration. Possibly addressing the reader in 'Look around you' to encourage them to feel involved and engage with the imagery before it 'Creedless shells of men tottering down the causeways'. It could also be a form of free indirect style where the reader feels like they see what is being described Doesn't signal where the narration ends and the thoughts of a character begin-unclear who's perspective it is, possibly because it adds to the anonymity of all of the characters on the road and that what the man has seen has been a shared vision by all who have walked the road.
The paragraph appears to be unusual as there is no mention of the man or the man and the boy together 'The boy knew what he knew' this is rare in the novel as it rarely focuses on the boy's thoughts, opinions or emotions. This gives us an insight into the boy's perspective and suggests that the boy knows more about the road than the man suggests 'ever is no time at all' as this indicates that the boy is aware of the man's inevitable death and that it is always looming. Overall the paragraph gives a bigger picture of the apocalyptic world and reminds us that it has affected other characters as well. It's easy to forget the toll of the apocalypse on general civilisation as there are so few characters featured in the novel as it is difficult to assess the magnitude of the apocalypse other than on the houses and towns that the man and the boy encounter.
The final paragraph in the novel also matches the style of the paragraph in page 28 as it has similar features. The difference is that when the reader seems to be addressed 'you could' gives it a timeless feel as it's not suggestive of any particular tense. This is said by an omniscient narrator which helps to distance the reader from the scene which is reminiscent of the paragraph on page 28 as distanced view of what had gone on before.
The paragraph appears to be unusual as there is no mention of the man or the man and the boy together 'The boy knew what he knew' this is rare in the novel as it rarely focuses on the boy's thoughts, opinions or emotions. This gives us an insight into the boy's perspective and suggests that the boy knows more about the road than the man suggests 'ever is no time at all' as this indicates that the boy is aware of the man's inevitable death and that it is always looming. Overall the paragraph gives a bigger picture of the apocalyptic world and reminds us that it has affected other characters as well. It's easy to forget the toll of the apocalypse on general civilisation as there are so few characters featured in the novel as it is difficult to assess the magnitude of the apocalypse other than on the houses and towns that the man and the boy encounter.
The final paragraph in the novel also matches the style of the paragraph in page 28 as it has similar features. The difference is that when the reader seems to be addressed 'you could' gives it a timeless feel as it's not suggestive of any particular tense. This is said by an omniscient narrator which helps to distance the reader from the scene which is reminiscent of the paragraph on page 28 as distanced view of what had gone on before.
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