Mainly focus’ on the religious symbolism in the road, rather the lack of religion in the road.
Schaub -begins with the illusion of Dante’s inferno, and this propels us to read it as a quest rather than a story.
The conversation with the boy and The whole journey is just for the boy and the survival of the boy.
Shaub refers to the Boy as God or jesus, thus being divine ‘The status of the boy-the ethical and religious implications of his character- rises abruptly in the last twenty pages of the novel “I am the one”’ two possible meanings from that quote, either the boy has realized he will survive his father, or secondly and less likely he has realized the divinity of the father. To further support this “there was light all around the boy” (177)
The changing status of the boy and father; the changing roles. “though still young, the boy is old enough to question his father”
“the father retains enough authority that the boy seems to take his fathers word.”
“Maps of the world in its becoming” Ashley Kunsa
The road is a linguistic journey toward redemption, the search for meaning and pattern in a seeming meaningless world.
The post apocalyptic paining gives new meaning, it has changed everything that has existed from the old world. This new meaning gives hope and salvation.
The father and child lack proper names, from the beginning are labeled as the good guys. They are good guys because of their ethics and morals, such as not resorting to cannibalism. This separates them from the bad guys, from their actions. Within this we can distinguish good from bad, through their actions. The father’s actions put into todays standards would be seen as unethical or unjustifiable but have been put forward for the sake of the boy.
Post apocalyptic, no place or location, forcing the reader to thing of places, not only the world as it was but as it will be. Meanings of the past world changed to suit the