Themes and Symbols
The Old World versus The New World
The novel begins with a contrast between the ideals of the pre-apocalyptic world and the post apocalyptic world. Through the use of color, snow and the contrast between the man and the boy, each world world unravels the story further showing how the heroes got to the point shown and what's to come in the near future. As the story progresses, the world around them becomes increasingly similar to the uncivilized institutions in human history.
Colors and the Grey Scale
Through the man's flashbacks to the past it can be seen that the largest distinction between the Old World and the New World is most present through the use of color. Every flashback the man has of his past is in vivid color, full of life and order. This representation of the world the man had previously known is a stark contrast to the world that surrounds him and the boy at the time the story takes place. The new world that surrounds them is a dark world full of nothing but murky grey surroundings with no sun to foster the life that managed to live past the desolation. The use of these colors encapsulates the loss of development and the devolution of the world in the after effects of disaster.
"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of night he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before,"(3).
"In that long ago somewhere very near this place he'd watched a falcon fall down the long blue wall of the mountain,"(20).
"And the dreams so rich in color. How else would death call you?"(21).
The Ash and Lack of Purity
In common text snow would represent the new beginning and the possibility of rebirth yet the snow in the novel is as dark and tainted as the world that surrounds it even as it falls. The ashes left behind by the world's destruction envelop the snow falling with it, taking away all sense of hope for a new start. The snow that surrounds them is as impure as the hearts. bodies and minds of those left behind in all of the destruction.
"The ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the void. Carried forth and scattered and carried forth again,"(11).
"Cars in the street caked in ash, everything covered with ash and dust,"(12).
"It's snowing, the boy. He looked at the sky. A single gray flake sifting down,"(16).
The Man and The Boy
As previously mentioned, the man has repeated flashbacks in vivid color, clearly contrasting with the constant grey surroundings that the boy has seen since his birth, being a child of the New World. Not only this but the man's repeated bad health and his inability to sense danger in circumstances that remind him of his past show his body and his mind rejecting the new surroundings in which they are entrapped. The man's cough is a constant reminder that the man's lungs can not accept the conditions that the man's body needs to live by. The boy is unaffected by all of this because he is one of the only children born after the Old World's destruction. The boy seems to be the only one with a sense for his surroundings and realizes when they are in danger especially in times when the Man loses the ability to do himself.
"The boy was right that it was a good place and he wanted to check for any sign of other visitors. He found nothing,"(41).
Fire and Hope
The fire is a constant symbol of empowerment to the protagonists. As the fire burns through the night, it provides solace and warmth to its masters. There is also a danger in its presence. It is an indulgence that may not always be available because as it comforts those around it, while alerting the surrounding area of their presence. Still, as the fire flickers on, the Boy and the Man's hope in their cause only falters when there is no chance to light the fire. As it dims their moods dim with it in the acid rain and the soot filled snow. Although hope is not abundant in the story, there is always a chance for it to make its way in and brighten the lives of those that it touches.
The Boy
Being among the few children to be born directly into the new world, the Boy seems immune to the effects of their desolate surroundings. The Boy has a clear train of thought that incorporates the instincts that the Man's past restrict him from seeing. He also possesses a clear sense of morality inherent in most children in novel's, representing something pure and untouched. This quality is also a major factor in many Christ figures and although the man rejects the will of God in the new world, he sees the boy as a light in all of the darkness. As he strives to help those even when he knows they don't even have enough for themselves make the little Boy the leading moral character of the story.
'The Good Guys'
To The Man and The Boy the fire is not only a symbol of hope but a telltale sign of a hero like the ones in the stories the Man tells the Boy. Those who "carry the fire" have the sole purpose of living righteously and helping all that they can. As the story progresses the boy begins to waiver in his faith that they themselves are the ideal 'good guys', always putting their needs of survival first. The boy's realization of this is a major growth from being just a little boy to striving to be his father's equal and being able to see the wold in all its grey shades, not just black and white. Yet as his father's health declines, the boy begins to put more faith in this hope of finding the good guys that will come to their rescue, even going so far as asking the man that finds them in the end if he himself carried the fire.
Dreams
Throughout the story, dreams seem to reveal the darkest fears and potential futures that even the fire cannot fend off in the dead of night. The book begins with the father's dream that something is coming and the dreams continue to torture both the man and the boy, awakening the thoughts inside that were never meant to surface. They act as a foreshadowing agent as well as the boy dreams of his father's impending death and the daunting stiffness left behind. The boy also dreams of another little boy that he believes he sees on the road one day. He dreams that the boy is lost and fears for the boy's grim future, his worry for the little boy on the road masking the worry for his own future after his father's passing.
"What is it?
Nothing. I had a bad dream.
What did you dream about?
Nothing.
Are you okay?
No.
He put his arms around him and held him. It's okay, he said.
I was crying. But you didn't wake up.
I'm sorry. I was just so tired.
I meant in the dream" (183).
The Cart
One of the most constant objects throughout the story is the cart they use to hold their supplies. This cart is a constant reminder of the Old World and one of the only links the Man and the Boy have left to civilization. Whenever they have to leave the cart behind they resolve into madness and slowly begin to progress into the world's past. Then, when it seems as if they may resolve into the vicious nature of their fellow survivors, the cart saves them and aids them as a temporary home.
"We have to go, he said. We cant stay here.
The boy stared bleakly at the gray drifts.
Come on.
They made their way out to the fence.
where are we going? the boy sad.
We have to find the cart.
He just stood there, his hands in the armpits of his parka.
Come on, the man said. You have to come on" (99).
Mortality, Death and Cleansing
Most of the novel focuses on the acceptance of mortality in the world of death that surrounds them. Both the man and the boy's mother accept the inevitability in death and choose to go about theirs in different ways, the boy being the only thing hindering their decision. They are also plagued with fear over the possibility of their son's death. The bond between the man and the boy is a dark reminder of their situation. Although the man tries to shield the boy from the realities of the world they live in and keep him as pure and innocent as possible, prime examples being their bathing at every chance they get. In spite of these efforts, the water they bathe in is as frigid as their surroundings.
"He turned and swam out to the falls and let the water beat upon him. The boy was standing in the pool to his waist, holding his shoulders and hopping up and down,"(39).
The Road
This titular symbol is the most subtle of the all of the novel's symbols. The road itself is a constant reminder of the previous world and the it's functional aspects. It continues to serve the man and the boy and does eventually get them to their destination. This destination, however, is at the end of a winding road that never truly reveals what it has in store for its passengers. It both nurtures and hinders their efforts to continue on their journey as it fosters potential predators just as openly as it does the heroes of the story. It's primary function as a reminder of the old world keeps them from joining the savages that surround them. This can be also be juxtaposed against it's cultivation of the only reigning order of the New World, blood cults and cannibals. While the man and the boy seek refuge in varying circumstances each day, the blood cults live in sedentary comfort previously reserved for people like the man and the boy.
The novel begins with a contrast between the ideals of the pre-apocalyptic world and the post apocalyptic world. Through the use of color, snow and the contrast between the man and the boy, each world world unravels the story further showing how the heroes got to the point shown and what's to come in the near future. As the story progresses, the world around them becomes increasingly similar to the uncivilized institutions in human history.
Colors and the Grey Scale
Through the man's flashbacks to the past it can be seen that the largest distinction between the Old World and the New World is most present through the use of color. Every flashback the man has of his past is in vivid color, full of life and order. This representation of the world the man had previously known is a stark contrast to the world that surrounds him and the boy at the time the story takes place. The new world that surrounds them is a dark world full of nothing but murky grey surroundings with no sun to foster the life that managed to live past the desolation. The use of these colors encapsulates the loss of development and the devolution of the world in the after effects of disaster.
"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of night he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before,"(3).
"In that long ago somewhere very near this place he'd watched a falcon fall down the long blue wall of the mountain,"(20).
"And the dreams so rich in color. How else would death call you?"(21).
The Ash and Lack of Purity
In common text snow would represent the new beginning and the possibility of rebirth yet the snow in the novel is as dark and tainted as the world that surrounds it even as it falls. The ashes left behind by the world's destruction envelop the snow falling with it, taking away all sense of hope for a new start. The snow that surrounds them is as impure as the hearts. bodies and minds of those left behind in all of the destruction.
"The ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the void. Carried forth and scattered and carried forth again,"(11).
"Cars in the street caked in ash, everything covered with ash and dust,"(12).
"It's snowing, the boy. He looked at the sky. A single gray flake sifting down,"(16).
The Man and The Boy
As previously mentioned, the man has repeated flashbacks in vivid color, clearly contrasting with the constant grey surroundings that the boy has seen since his birth, being a child of the New World. Not only this but the man's repeated bad health and his inability to sense danger in circumstances that remind him of his past show his body and his mind rejecting the new surroundings in which they are entrapped. The man's cough is a constant reminder that the man's lungs can not accept the conditions that the man's body needs to live by. The boy is unaffected by all of this because he is one of the only children born after the Old World's destruction. The boy seems to be the only one with a sense for his surroundings and realizes when they are in danger especially in times when the Man loses the ability to do himself.
"The boy was right that it was a good place and he wanted to check for any sign of other visitors. He found nothing,"(41).
Fire and Hope
The fire is a constant symbol of empowerment to the protagonists. As the fire burns through the night, it provides solace and warmth to its masters. There is also a danger in its presence. It is an indulgence that may not always be available because as it comforts those around it, while alerting the surrounding area of their presence. Still, as the fire flickers on, the Boy and the Man's hope in their cause only falters when there is no chance to light the fire. As it dims their moods dim with it in the acid rain and the soot filled snow. Although hope is not abundant in the story, there is always a chance for it to make its way in and brighten the lives of those that it touches.
The Boy
Being among the few children to be born directly into the new world, the Boy seems immune to the effects of their desolate surroundings. The Boy has a clear train of thought that incorporates the instincts that the Man's past restrict him from seeing. He also possesses a clear sense of morality inherent in most children in novel's, representing something pure and untouched. This quality is also a major factor in many Christ figures and although the man rejects the will of God in the new world, he sees the boy as a light in all of the darkness. As he strives to help those even when he knows they don't even have enough for themselves make the little Boy the leading moral character of the story.
'The Good Guys'
To The Man and The Boy the fire is not only a symbol of hope but a telltale sign of a hero like the ones in the stories the Man tells the Boy. Those who "carry the fire" have the sole purpose of living righteously and helping all that they can. As the story progresses the boy begins to waiver in his faith that they themselves are the ideal 'good guys', always putting their needs of survival first. The boy's realization of this is a major growth from being just a little boy to striving to be his father's equal and being able to see the wold in all its grey shades, not just black and white. Yet as his father's health declines, the boy begins to put more faith in this hope of finding the good guys that will come to their rescue, even going so far as asking the man that finds them in the end if he himself carried the fire.
Dreams
Throughout the story, dreams seem to reveal the darkest fears and potential futures that even the fire cannot fend off in the dead of night. The book begins with the father's dream that something is coming and the dreams continue to torture both the man and the boy, awakening the thoughts inside that were never meant to surface. They act as a foreshadowing agent as well as the boy dreams of his father's impending death and the daunting stiffness left behind. The boy also dreams of another little boy that he believes he sees on the road one day. He dreams that the boy is lost and fears for the boy's grim future, his worry for the little boy on the road masking the worry for his own future after his father's passing.
"What is it?
Nothing. I had a bad dream.
What did you dream about?
Nothing.
Are you okay?
No.
He put his arms around him and held him. It's okay, he said.
I was crying. But you didn't wake up.
I'm sorry. I was just so tired.
I meant in the dream" (183).
The Cart
One of the most constant objects throughout the story is the cart they use to hold their supplies. This cart is a constant reminder of the Old World and one of the only links the Man and the Boy have left to civilization. Whenever they have to leave the cart behind they resolve into madness and slowly begin to progress into the world's past. Then, when it seems as if they may resolve into the vicious nature of their fellow survivors, the cart saves them and aids them as a temporary home.
"We have to go, he said. We cant stay here.
The boy stared bleakly at the gray drifts.
Come on.
They made their way out to the fence.
where are we going? the boy sad.
We have to find the cart.
He just stood there, his hands in the armpits of his parka.
Come on, the man said. You have to come on" (99).
Mortality, Death and Cleansing
Most of the novel focuses on the acceptance of mortality in the world of death that surrounds them. Both the man and the boy's mother accept the inevitability in death and choose to go about theirs in different ways, the boy being the only thing hindering their decision. They are also plagued with fear over the possibility of their son's death. The bond between the man and the boy is a dark reminder of their situation. Although the man tries to shield the boy from the realities of the world they live in and keep him as pure and innocent as possible, prime examples being their bathing at every chance they get. In spite of these efforts, the water they bathe in is as frigid as their surroundings.
"He turned and swam out to the falls and let the water beat upon him. The boy was standing in the pool to his waist, holding his shoulders and hopping up and down,"(39).
The Road
This titular symbol is the most subtle of the all of the novel's symbols. The road itself is a constant reminder of the previous world and the it's functional aspects. It continues to serve the man and the boy and does eventually get them to their destination. This destination, however, is at the end of a winding road that never truly reveals what it has in store for its passengers. It both nurtures and hinders their efforts to continue on their journey as it fosters potential predators just as openly as it does the heroes of the story. It's primary function as a reminder of the old world keeps them from joining the savages that surround them. This can be also be juxtaposed against it's cultivation of the only reigning order of the New World, blood cults and cannibals. While the man and the boy seek refuge in varying circumstances each day, the blood cults live in sedentary comfort previously reserved for people like the man and the boy.