The Road
Research (Genre)
‘The Road’ is categorized as a post-apocalyptic fiction style novel. As stated in an article written from a student at Princeton University; Post-apocalyptic fiction is a sub genre of science fiction that is set in a world or civilization after either a nuclear war, plaque, comet/rogue planet strike, or some other general disaster. Usually post-apocalyptic fiction novels take place immediately after the catastrophe; the author focuses on the travails or psychology of survivors. This genre could also take place considerable after a general disaster, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten/mythologized by remnant society. Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in a non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered remains of technology elements remain.
‘The Road’ falls under many of these characterizations mentioned in this article from Princeton University. This novel takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, most probably many years after the catastrophe. This is inferred when the Man has a flashback to his wife leaving him. The women thinks “they [the bad guys] are going to rape us and kill us and eat us” (pg 56). This shows evidence that the time period may be well after the catastrophe because people have resorted to killing and eating each other, people would most likely not resort to cannibalism until it was the only option available. Therefore the disaster must have happened many years ago. The Man and women used to talk about death, but no longer do because “it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about” (pg 57). Again, this is evidence that the catastrophe has happened years ago, as the man and women used to talk about death long before yet still after the disaster, and now they no longer do, because it is upon them. As well, as the article states, ‘The Road’ follows the journey of the Man and Boy to the south, as ‘There’d be no surviving another winter here.”(pg
‘The Road’ is categorized as a post-apocalyptic fiction style novel. As stated in an article written from a student at Princeton University; Post-apocalyptic fiction is a sub genre of science fiction that is set in a world or civilization after either a nuclear war, plaque, comet/rogue planet strike, or some other general disaster. Usually post-apocalyptic fiction novels take place immediately after the catastrophe; the author focuses on the travails or psychology of survivors. This genre could also take place considerable after a general disaster, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten/mythologized by remnant society. Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in a non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered remains of technology elements remain.
‘The Road’ falls under many of these characterizations mentioned in this article from Princeton University. This novel takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, most probably many years after the catastrophe. This is inferred when the Man has a flashback to his wife leaving him. The women thinks “they [the bad guys] are going to rape us and kill us and eat us” (pg 56). This shows evidence that the time period may be well after the catastrophe because people have resorted to killing and eating each other, people would most likely not resort to cannibalism until it was the only option available. Therefore the disaster must have happened many years ago. The Man and women used to talk about death, but no longer do because “it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about” (pg 57). Again, this is evidence that the catastrophe has happened years ago, as the man and women used to talk about death long before yet still after the disaster, and now they no longer do, because it is upon them. As well, as the article states, ‘The Road’ follows the journey of the Man and Boy to the south, as ‘There’d be no surviving another winter here.”(pg