The Road- A Dystopian Novel
Alexis Robertson
Professor Brown
ENG 338 A
1 December 2014
The Warning of The Road Dystopian novels usually have one main theme, which is how can these characters overcome obstacles in a world were society is very problematic. Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road is no different. This dystopian novel focuses in on a man and his child and their journey of survival and despair. The Road has been disputed by scholars on whether or not it is a true dystopian novel because the causes of the disaster that the characters are overcoming in the novel is never mentioned, and there is no real government in control of anyone. The Road is a dystopian novel because although there is an absence of political motives, that absence forms a theme, which is the end of politics. The novel, which is told out of order, introduces the reader to a world of utter devastation. There is little food to eat, little water to drink and virtually no safety. The government has obviously deteriorated and is nonexistent in the character’s lives. Even though the government does not play a part in the novel, the idea of no government is still one of political ideals. The event that causes the devastation in the novel is mystery, but the text does provide clues as to what happened. On page 52, a brief section describes the events that lead up to the post-apocalyptic action. “The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions. He got up and went to the window. What is it? she said. He didn’t answer” (McCarthy 52). Clues from this passage along with clues from the rest of the novel, such as the harsh winter and ash, all add up to this being a nuclear disaster. Everything in the characters world is covered in ash making for a very gray and dreary world. There is also what can be assumed to be a nuclear winter in which thick clouds block the sun and atmosphere, which makes the temperature very cold and almost unbearable. Possibly, a war broke out between countries of
Professor Brown
ENG 338 A
1 December 2014
The Warning of The Road Dystopian novels usually have one main theme, which is how can these characters overcome obstacles in a world were society is very problematic. Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road is no different. This dystopian novel focuses in on a man and his child and their journey of survival and despair. The Road has been disputed by scholars on whether or not it is a true dystopian novel because the causes of the disaster that the characters are overcoming in the novel is never mentioned, and there is no real government in control of anyone. The Road is a dystopian novel because although there is an absence of political motives, that absence forms a theme, which is the end of politics. The novel, which is told out of order, introduces the reader to a world of utter devastation. There is little food to eat, little water to drink and virtually no safety. The government has obviously deteriorated and is nonexistent in the character’s lives. Even though the government does not play a part in the novel, the idea of no government is still one of political ideals. The event that causes the devastation in the novel is mystery, but the text does provide clues as to what happened. On page 52, a brief section describes the events that lead up to the post-apocalyptic action. “The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions. He got up and went to the window. What is it? she said. He didn’t answer” (McCarthy 52). Clues from this passage along with clues from the rest of the novel, such as the harsh winter and ash, all add up to this being a nuclear disaster. Everything in the characters world is covered in ash making for a very gray and dreary world. There is also what can be assumed to be a nuclear winter in which thick clouds block the sun and atmosphere, which makes the temperature very cold and almost unbearable. Possibly, a war broke out between countries of
Cited: McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York, 2006. Print.