Question one.
Chapters five of ' how to read literature like a professor' tells us that ; nothing is original, that everything is taken from something that has previously been told of a or wrote about. The road by Cormac McCarthy abides by this. When i was in the eight grade I read The Picture of Dorian Grey, When i was in the ninth grade i read The Twilight Saga, and last week i read Fifty Shades of Grey. All three of the listed books are derived from one another , in all three books reader is presented with an irresistibly sexy, mysterious man. All three books also contain some naive, sheltered girl who falls hopelessly in love with the man. The man in all of the books is corrupt in some way, rather it be a power hungry prince, a vampire or a "dominant".
Question two.
In how to read literature like a professor there is a entire chapter dedicated to symbolism. Symbolism is very strongly used throughout the entire novel 'The Road', the road itself being one of the strongest symbols. Throughout the entire novel the road represents hope, if they can find the road they travel along it and feel as if they have a chance, I also feel as if the ocean is a symbol of hope, it keep the going, on a mission.
Question three.
I interpret the theme of the novel to be, to never lose hope. In the novel, when the character lose hope they dont have long left. The father of the novel had traveled to the ocean, which was a main source of hope for him, when he reached the ocean and saw that it too was destroyed like the rest of the world he soon died he became