Examples Of Maturity In The Road
Maturity is usually defined as being an adult or acting like a responsible and knowledgeable adult. There are two types of maturity, physical and emotional. Physical maturity is when someone gets older and it is visible in their appearance. Emotional Maturity is the full growth and development of one’s emotions. In the book, The Road, the boy definitely shows signs of maturing both physically and emotionally. As the book progresses the boy transitions into a mature and strong individual from a childish and inexperienced character.
When the book starts off, we are introduced to the boy as a young and immature character. He does not know how to take care of himself and he is in the care of his father. It makes sense that the boy would seem …show more content…
immature and childish because at the beginning of the book, the narrator describes his wide eyes and he acknowledges the man as “Papa” which portrays him as a young child. The boy shows immaturity by throwing away something of importance that his father made for him. The father asks the boy, “What happened to your flute? I threw it away. You threw it away? Yes. Okay.” The boy shows immaturity in this because his father had carved a flute for him and without realizing that the flute was somewhat of a reminder of good and his father, the boy threw it away. He was to a certain extent almost like a child who does stupid things without thinking about it when they get a temper tantrum. The father also makes notice of the boy’s infancy and immature innocence. The narrator explains, “He could not enkindle in the heart of the child what was ashes in his own” (147). This quote exemplifies the innocent and infant like perception the father has of his son and what how the author wants us to view the boy.
Over the course of their journey to head south and reach warmer weather, the boy matures into a more experienced and grown up character. The boy seems to have a consciousness of others and the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Throughout the book he constantly is seen asking the father if they are the “good guys”. The boy talks with his father about being the good guys, “I said we weren’t dying. I didn’t say we weren’t starving. But we wouldn’t. No. We wouldn’t. No matter what. No. No matter what. Because we're the good guys. Yes. And we're carrying the fire. And we're carrying the fire. Yes. Okay.”(92). The boy is talking with the father and confirming that they are the good guys because they won’t turn to cannibalism. When boy talked to his father about not becoming cannibals because both of them are the good guys, it greatly showed how he changes and matures. He realizes what is good and evil. He knows that if they turn to cannibalism they would become demoralized and inhumane. He understands that they have to have a moral order, and it is up to him and his father to show it.
The boy almost completely matures towards the end of the book.
The boy knows that the man was cruel by completely abandoning the naked man on the road even though he had done something bad to them. When the father dies it is the boy who comes out as the fire bearer and represents all that is good. When the other man came up to the boy and told him he would not harm the boy, the boy’s first questioned to him was if he was one of the good guys and if he is carrying the fire. The boy asks, “How do I know you're one of the good guys? You don’t. You'll have to take a shot. Are you carrying the fire? Am I what? Carrying the fire. You're kind of weirded out, aren’t you? No. Just a little. Yeah. That's okay. So are you? What, carrying the fire? Yes. Yeah. We are.”(283-284). After the death of his father, the boy meets a man who is willing to take care of him but the boy makes sure that he is of the good guys. The boy is mature enough to understand the need to be good and especially carry the fire (representing good and showing morals). The man doesn’t get this at first but he soon realizes what the boy was asking him and he says yes. The boy is mature enough to realize that he needs to find others that have morals and that want to carry the fire, which represents all that is
good.
The boy and his father’s journey to survive and carry the fire play a huge role in the boy’s character. Throughout the book there are several examples that show the boy maturing and understanding reality and right from wrong. The character of the boy transformed from an inexperienced and young child to a mature and knowledgeable individual.
When the book starts off, we are introduced to the boy as a young and immature character. He does not know how to take care of himself and he is in the care of his father. It makes sense that the boy would seem …show more content…
immature and childish because at the beginning of the book, the narrator describes his wide eyes and he acknowledges the man as “Papa” which portrays him as a young child. The boy shows immaturity by throwing away something of importance that his father made for him. The father asks the boy, “What happened to your flute? I threw it away. You threw it away? Yes. Okay.” The boy shows immaturity in this because his father had carved a flute for him and without realizing that the flute was somewhat of a reminder of good and his father, the boy threw it away. He was to a certain extent almost like a child who does stupid things without thinking about it when they get a temper tantrum. The father also makes notice of the boy’s infancy and immature innocence. The narrator explains, “He could not enkindle in the heart of the child what was ashes in his own” (147). This quote exemplifies the innocent and infant like perception the father has of his son and what how the author wants us to view the boy.
Over the course of their journey to head south and reach warmer weather, the boy matures into a more experienced and grown up character. The boy seems to have a consciousness of others and the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Throughout the book he constantly is seen asking the father if they are the “good guys”. The boy talks with his father about being the good guys, “I said we weren’t dying. I didn’t say we weren’t starving. But we wouldn’t. No. We wouldn’t. No matter what. No. No matter what. Because we're the good guys. Yes. And we're carrying the fire. And we're carrying the fire. Yes. Okay.”(92). The boy is talking with the father and confirming that they are the good guys because they won’t turn to cannibalism. When boy talked to his father about not becoming cannibals because both of them are the good guys, it greatly showed how he changes and matures. He realizes what is good and evil. He knows that if they turn to cannibalism they would become demoralized and inhumane. He understands that they have to have a moral order, and it is up to him and his father to show it.
The boy almost completely matures towards the end of the book.
The boy knows that the man was cruel by completely abandoning the naked man on the road even though he had done something bad to them. When the father dies it is the boy who comes out as the fire bearer and represents all that is good. When the other man came up to the boy and told him he would not harm the boy, the boy’s first questioned to him was if he was one of the good guys and if he is carrying the fire. The boy asks, “How do I know you're one of the good guys? You don’t. You'll have to take a shot. Are you carrying the fire? Am I what? Carrying the fire. You're kind of weirded out, aren’t you? No. Just a little. Yeah. That's okay. So are you? What, carrying the fire? Yes. Yeah. We are.”(283-284). After the death of his father, the boy meets a man who is willing to take care of him but the boy makes sure that he is of the good guys. The boy is mature enough to understand the need to be good and especially carry the fire (representing good and showing morals). The man doesn’t get this at first but he soon realizes what the boy was asking him and he says yes. The boy is mature enough to realize that he needs to find others that have morals and that want to carry the fire, which represents all that is
good.
The boy and his father’s journey to survive and carry the fire play a huge role in the boy’s character. Throughout the book there are several examples that show the boy maturing and understanding reality and right from wrong. The character of the boy transformed from an inexperienced and young child to a mature and knowledgeable individual.