explore the use of setting in the novel 'the road'
Explore the use of setting in the novel ‘The Road’
The novel ‘The Road’ opens after great disaster has struck leaving many barren lands and few living beings. Within the first few pages we are introduced to this on-going long road of travel which will supposedly lead them to safety in the south, although the two main characters of this novel - the man and the boy – encounter very low temperatures and scarce necessities (food, water, clothing and shelter) they do not seem to find danger just yet.
We learn that the man tells the boy of two categories of people; the good ones and the bad ones. The good ones are the ones who keep trying and stay mortal in the sense that they keep their morals however the bad ones are the people who steal, eat people and do bad to others hence losing their sense of morality.
This luck however does change when the ‘bad people’ (known to rape and eat people who they found) find them and the ‘bad’ man tries to kidnap the boy and so the boy’s father shoots the ‘bad’ man in the head to protect him, they change their course to stay within safe bounds. They do however find some shelter for a few days and food but they are entitled to not staying there as the bad people may find them.
We are only able to experience bright colours and large groups of people through the characters' dreams/memories such as if someone happens to bruise/bleed as well as through fire or flare guns. The rest of the time we perceive nought else but a grey ash covering the unproductive backdrop.
There are two main categories of settings that have been used in this novel; the road and the surroundings in which the two characters – father and son – take shelter from the bad guys in.
The use of the road as a setting is seen as very important as it represents the long journey for both man and boy which will supposedly lead them to safety. This journey starts after disaster strikes the land leaving them unaware of whom to place their trust in apart from one another.
The novel ‘The Road’ opens after great disaster has struck leaving many barren lands and few living beings. Within the first few pages we are introduced to this on-going long road of travel which will supposedly lead them to safety in the south, although the two main characters of this novel - the man and the boy – encounter very low temperatures and scarce necessities (food, water, clothing and shelter) they do not seem to find danger just yet.
We learn that the man tells the boy of two categories of people; the good ones and the bad ones. The good ones are the ones who keep trying and stay mortal in the sense that they keep their morals however the bad ones are the people who steal, eat people and do bad to others hence losing their sense of morality.
This luck however does change when the ‘bad people’ (known to rape and eat people who they found) find them and the ‘bad’ man tries to kidnap the boy and so the boy’s father shoots the ‘bad’ man in the head to protect him, they change their course to stay within safe bounds. They do however find some shelter for a few days and food but they are entitled to not staying there as the bad people may find them.
We are only able to experience bright colours and large groups of people through the characters' dreams/memories such as if someone happens to bruise/bleed as well as through fire or flare guns. The rest of the time we perceive nought else but a grey ash covering the unproductive backdrop.
There are two main categories of settings that have been used in this novel; the road and the surroundings in which the two characters – father and son – take shelter from the bad guys in.
The use of the road as a setting is seen as very important as it represents the long journey for both man and boy which will supposedly lead them to safety. This journey starts after disaster strikes the land leaving them unaware of whom to place their trust in apart from one another.