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The Road Cormac Mccarthy Analysis

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Hrithik Verma Surapuraju Ms.McCarthy English 11 Honors 30 May 2018 The Double Edged Sword of Mankind The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, describes the journey to the southern United States taken by a young boy and his father after an unnamed catastrophe has struck the world both of which travel through the rough terrain of the southeastern United States. The conditions they face are horrific: rotted corpses, landscapes devastated by fire, abandoned towns and houses. The father and his son struggle to survive in the harsh weather with little food, supplies, or shelter. Despite their struggles, the man and the child survive, convincing themselves that they are the "good guys". However, the father's health worsens as they travel, and by the time they reach the ocean, he is near death. He continually coughs up blood, and the two are forced to move at ever slowing rates each day. Finally, he dies in the woods lying next to his son in the middle of the night. The boy remains by his side for several days after his death, but eventually the boy meets a kind family who invite him to join them. The boy must say goodbye to his father and embark on a new journey with this family. Mankind has two meanings, the first being “the fact or condition of being human; human nature.” and the second being “humaneness; …show more content…

Most of the people that are still alive have become cannibalistic savages that will do anything to survive and have practically abandoned their morality. The absence of human civilization and social standards causes individuals to act solely out of self-interest. Altruistic behavior disappears and people are only concerned with their own personal survival. Each individual acts selfishly and believes his or her own acts are moral and justified. People do whatever it takes to ensure their survival, even if it is immoral. This is shown

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