The Road Cormac Mccarthy Analysis

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A thirst for knowledge can be something very powerful to a child. This concept of self knowledge is very strong in both The Road by Cormac McCarthy and “The Portrait” by Stanley Kunitz. When it comes to adults, they may not want to repeat knowledge that they know because in may have a painful background. This may also cause adults to not want to retain new knowledge that is presented to them. When times become tough, knowledge may be the only thing that all humans can relate back to. A major point shown in both the novel and the poem is the painful memories that may come from someone’s past. The poem has a very sad/violent background, in which the father committed suicide and a mother was left to take care of their son. In the poem, it is…show more content…
The burden of responsibility is seen the most throughout the novel and has a strong relation back to the young boy’s need for knowledge. Through the toughest times in the novel, the father has always been there to protect his son because it is his duty. The father expresses his role when he states “My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you” (McCarthy 77). Since the mother died and only the father and son are left, the father must comfort and protect the son to the best of his ability. Even when it comes to leaving the young boy alone with the gun, the look on the boy’s face tells the father that his responsibility is the well-being of the child. The father then states “I’m right here. I won’t leave you” (McCarthy 113). The most interesting part of the burden of responsibility expressed in the novel is that it is reversed at the end of the novel. When the father is dead the boy refuses to leave him until he is covered and comfortable. This would be the same thing that the father would have done for his son. This shows that the son used the knowledge that was passed down from his

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