The Road 1-60

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a story about a father and son. Some implied tragedy has burned across America, leaving nothing but ash in it's wake. So far we do not know their names or much about them at all except that they are heading south to get warm. The first 60 pages focus mainly on their journey and introducing their characteristics. We find out that the son is easily scared and that the father, while comforting to his son, is more scared of their possible death than he lets on. "If we get wet, we'll die" he says. It is interesting how Cormac McCarthy describes nothingness. All around the father and son is a baren wasteland but he finds a way to describe the ash flowing through the air and the glassy ground.

The novel appears to be building up to something. There is frequently very short moments of suspense that so far have led to nothing. The father hears drums in the distance, the boy suspects someone of being in his fathers old house. I am excited to see what happens when they finally encounter another human, I have a feeling it is not going to be a peaceful situation. There is a brief flashback of the father remembering going to a concerty with his wife. This part is interesting because we find out that whatever happened surely happened recently. Although it appears that the son only knows this post-apocalyptic America, this is most apparent in a scene where he does not recognize what a Coca-Cola is.

I am intrigued by The Road, but I can definitley feel it building up to something much bigger.

Slutlamp - A bottle of oil with a cloth wick.(From: Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage)