Post-Apocalyptic Literature

Post apocalyptic narratives are set sometime after a devastating event that has occurred, which has destroyed the fabric of society.

 



 

"The thoughts and actions of the survivors are what counts"

• The man seems to always be thinking with a positive mind set. When the woman thinks they are going to 'raped, killed and eaten', the man reassures her that things will be okay, although in reality he knows the truth and knows that things may only get worse:

          'we're survivors' - the man (pg 57)

          'we're not survivors. We're the walking dead in a horror film' - the woman

 

• (pg 68) The man sacrifices one of only two last bullets they have in their revolver to kill the 'roadrat' who tries to threaten the man and boy by putting a knife to the boys throat. To ensure their safety, the man shoots the roadrat; even though the consequences may be that the 'gang' the roadrat was travelling with heard the shot of the gun, leading the man and boy to try and make a quick escape. Choosing to kill the roadrat ultimately saved the boy and his own life, if the boy had have been killed the man would no longer have anything to live for so would end up using the last bullet to kill himself. Sacrificing one bullet meant ensuring both of their lives were safe, for that moment anyway.

          'The man had already dropped to the ground and he swung with him and levelled the pistol and fired from a two handed position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet. The man fell back instantly and lay with blood bubbling from the hole in his forehead.'

 

• The man, although never really showing emotional love towards his child, always puts his needs before his own. He notices that the young boy is frail and weak and does his best to take care of him in such a harsh environment. The man's caring a thoughtful actions ultimately lead to boy surviving in the end of the novel against all odds. There are times when the man gives the boys the opportunity to survive even if he himself doesn't, for example when the man tells the boy to take the gun in order to keep himself safe. The man takes full responsibility and constantly puts the boy's wellbeing before his own.

          'They had a single blanket in the pack and he got it out and covered the boy with it and he unzipped his parka and held the boy against him.' (pg 70)

         

          'Take the gun'

          'I don't want the gun'

          'I didn't ask you if you wanted it. Take it.' (pg 73)

 

• Sometimes it is evident that the boy has seen so much bad and so much destruction in his short life that he tries to pick out the positive and hopeful things in a situation, even if the man is disagreeing. This positive thinking in turn leads the boy to making the right choices in order to keep himself and his father safe. Small glimmers of hope from the boy seem to give the man the urge to carry on and not give up, managing to get them to the coast. 

          'Is it the bad guys?'

          'Yes. I'm afraid so.'

          'They could be the good guys couldn't they?' (pg 108)

 

• In order to keep the child safe, the man teaches the boy certain tricks and techniques in case any 'bad guys' do come by them. He is always thinking about the boy's welfare and how to keep him safe if he is not around. The boy takes on his father's advice and manages to stay safe if there ever becomes a time when the man isn't around and the boy needs to protect himself.

          'He'd tried to teach him to lie in the woods like a fawn.'

 

 

"'Apocalypse' derives from the Greek word for 'revelation'"

 

•  It could be seen as a revelation that the man chooses to shoot the roadrat in order to save the boy's life. If he hadn't then the boy would have died and the man would have had no uses left to live. But in shooting the roadrat he saved both of their lives and in turn creating a revelation that the man is powerful, strong willed and caring. (pg 68)
• The world that the man and boy now live in is grotesque and dark. They discover some disturbing things along the road and also off the road. It is a contrast to the world before that the man remembers and they see many sights the young boy should not be subjected to see. This new world that they live in could be seen as a revelation:

          'A charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit' (pg 212)

 

• When the man and boy come across across the bunker in the ground which is full of food they seem to have discovered a revelation because after thinking their lives would be over due to starvation and illness they find this saviour in a sea of badness. This 'revelation' means that their lives are extended even more, giving them the chance to get to the coast and find hope.

          'Crate upon crate of canned goods. Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots...'



"Mythologizing the past"

• During the most depressing times along the road, the man chooses to reminisce about his childhood and remember his uncle. This is to clear his mind of the badness and think, just for a few minutes, of the good life he once had. It's never actually clear if these memories are true or not, for the reader interprets them in their own way. The man could be 'mythologizing' his memories just to make his present situation seem cheerier and more uplifting.

          'This was the perfect day of his childhood. This the day to shape the days upon.' (pg 11)

• In the silence of the road, the man thinks back to when his wife was the bride. He remembers how she looked saying: 'Her nipples were pipeclayed and her rib bones painted white. She wore a dress of gauze and her dark hair was carried up in combs of ivory'. Although after thinking it through he says: 'He mistrusted all  of that.' For he may have been mythologizing his past with his wife, she may not have been that beautiful; although due to his bitterness it could be that she was that beautiful but he chose to pretend that she wasn't. (Pg 17)
• Although, straight after the apocalypse things weren't much better, they seemed far much better to the man and boy compared to their current life on the road. They remember seeing people crowded along the edge of the road, where as now they merely see anyone along the road and if they do they instantly think it's a 'bad guy'. He describes the people to seem healthier than the people they now see which shows the prolonged badness of the world.

          'Their eyes were bright in their skulls.'
          'In the first years, the roads were peopled with refugees shrouded up in their clothing.' (pg 28)

• The man remembers the day the clocks freeze and remembers his wife questioning what is happening. He also remembers seeing birds flying overhead and only seeing them circle above him a few times before never seeing them again. Here the man could be mythologizing the past because it seems all a daze to him, a distant/faint memory which he chooses to remember because he no longer sees birds flying.

          'lay listening to flocks of migrating birds over head...'

Images That Remind Me Of The Road

There is a light they are trying to reach, beyond all the badness.

The abandoned houses they come across with hope of finding food, clothes or blankets.

The 'bad guys' hidden among the trees, deep within the woods.

Their journey seems hopeless, the man questions his and his son's reasons to survive.

The Road seems long, dark and never ending.

They try and find shelter and protection from the woods, usually only leading to more danger.

 

The isolated and empty rooms of houses and shops that they pass and search.

 

Death seems never far away from either the man or the boy.

 

The darkened steps leading to the basement.

 

The 'good guys' that find themselves in the same desolate world as the man and boy.

 

The naked, limbless people they find in the basement of an abandoned house.

Opening - Key Features Table

KEY FEATURES	EXAMPLE
Genre of horror	“Alabaster bones cast up in the shadow on the rock behind it” - the imagery here suggests elements of horror and supernaturalism that would not be found in the natural world. Although could suggest the man’s feelings towards the post-apocalyptic world he now lives in.
Colour imagery	“grey” - dull, darkness   post-apocalyptic world “red” – danger   “gold” – when his wife was still alive, suggesting happy memories, going to the theatre, gold – exquisite, important, in contrast to the world he now lives in.
Key theme of decay	“Glaucoma” A “barren” landscape “Dead trees” “stale” – the smell of gas The descriptions of the surroundings suggest a decaying world and atmosphere from which the man and boy cannot escape. There are no positive descriptions, they are mainly negatives, to reinforce the idea of uncertainty and dullness.
Minimal punctuation	Shows a decaying society, the lack of commas and repetition of ‘and’ shows a never ending journey and short sentences show a world where the remaining inhabitants are trapped – “covered with tarp and…running ledge and rock and…rock overhang and…”
Seasonal imagery	The time frames switch between seasons. The present, with the man and boy travelling through a destroyed world, is mainly winter. The flash backs the man has of his child hood are mainly autumn, to show a contrast in moods – “blowsy plumage in the still autumn air”. Where as in the present where it seems to be constantly winter the world is described negatively as ‘cold and grey’’.
Religious imagery	“Robes” – what a religious person would wear, but they are far from religion in a barren landscape, in old, dirty clothes which the man wishes were ‘robes’. The journey the man and boy are embarking on could be seen as a pilgrimage, trying to decide between right and wrong and finding God, who will guide them. But it seems that the world is so dead that God cannot help or guide them.
Memories	“You forget what you want to remember and remember what you want to forget” – this could be the man suggesting his wife, he remembers her but it is a bad memory and he doesn’t want to contaminate his memory with badness; although he finds that extremely difficult as he did love her at one time. It could also be a reflection of all of the bad things the young boy sees whilst travelling across the country and how it may affect his future.
Death	The man doesn’t want either of them to die but know it might happen soon. There are only two bullets left in the gun, one for each of them, it may be better to die than survive. The son is constantly asking if they are going to die – ‘are you going to die papa?’, ‘I’m really scared’

Quotation Interpretation

Quotations From The Road

• "This is my child, he said. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job."

The use of the word 'dead' reflects a sinister and eerie tone to the novel, symbolising it's genre, horror. It could also mirror what will happen later on in the novel and also what has happened in the past; things the man and boy have witnessed that leads them to having 'dead man's brains' washed out of their hair. It could also be a metaphor for all the dead men and the cannibals signifying the man trying to cleanse the boy of all badness. This links to the theme of love and the love the man has for his poor son.

• "Yes I am, he said. I am the one."

The man saying 'I am' suggests a positivity to his voice and the words 'the one' signifies his feeling of importance. 'The one' has positive connotations of being powerful and important, linking to the themes of courage and heroism. Repetition of 'I am' infers that he is not afraid to admit what or who he is, he is proud. It could also link to the repetitive life the man and boy have lead, travelling day after day along the road.  
 

• "Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef."

The use of alliteration 'canned' and 'corned' makes this piece of speech pacey and speeds up the rhythm of the narrative to suggest the excitement and overwhelming feeling the man experiences when he sees all of the food. Listing the food as it is makes the reader empathise with how much the man is in awe of this much food after being on the edge of death.

 

• "Are we still the good guys, he said."

This quote suggests the boys innocence but also his knowledge of his current situation and the world around him. The reader is able to empathise with the young boy and connect to the father and son's relationship through a tough time. The boy's age is shown through his use of the phrase 'good guys' rather than a more formal and appropriate name for the enemies of the man and boy.

 

• "We should go, Papa, he said. Yes, the man said. But he didn't."

The contradiction here when the man says he will leave but doesn't shows a slight flaw in the man and boy's relationship. This could add to the aspects of the genre of horror, the man contradicting the boy could lead them into further danger or trouble. The last sentence 'but he didn't' leaves a huge impact on the reader as it is a separate sentence to the speech, ending in a cliff hanger, without knowing the outcomes of the man and boy not leaving.  

 

• "The snow fell nor did it cease to fall."

This pathetic fallacy reflects the dull and depressing mood that the man and boy find themselves in. Their current situation is cold and unknowing as well as seeming unstoppable, as the snow is described here. It suggests that it has been snowing for some time and would not be stopping soon. This weather imagery adds to the typical aspects of a horror and thriller genre because the two characters find themselves in an unescapable position/place; they can not escape the cold and the snow they have to face it. This makes a connection between the characters and reader because they can empathise and sympathise with their situation.

 

• "Okay? Okay."

The first okay is a question, from the man to which the boy replies with the same word. This repetition suggests an ongoing strain and struggle for the characters, symbolising their current state. They seem to stuck in a horrific and terrifying world and this repetition and dullness is reflected in the character's speech. it could also suggest that the man and boy have a lose relationship as their speech is only minimal and seem insignificant.

 

• "They sat on the edge of the tub and pulled their shoes on and them he handed the boy the pan and soap and he took the stove and the little bottle of gas and the pistol and wrapped in their blankets and they went back across the yard to the bunker."

This quote seems to be a contrast between their previous situation and now. It suggests that they are now more positive and happy, able to wash with soap and have someone warm and dry to stay. Although, the repetition of the word 'and' could show the monotony and their unwillingness to continue their 'pointless' lives, as though all their actions will lead to nothing. The length of the sentence could suggest the amount of time they have spent in their current position and suggest that how long it may continue is uncertain.

 

• "Tolling in the silence the minutes of the earth."

The word 'silence' has negative connotations of eeriness and desertedness. Putting 'Earth' and 'silence' in the same sentence adds to the typical values of a horror novel suggesting the Earth is silent and the man an boy are all alone. This aloneness suggests a dark undertone to the reader and could also show that anything may happen to the isolated characters.  

 

• "She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift."

The word 'coldness' reflects clearly the genre of horror and the idea that her leaving left them cold and alone. Suggesting that the coldness of her leaving was a gift could show how bad their lives had become and that her departure was actually a 'gift' to them rather than a loss. It could suggest a loose connection and relationship between the characters as the woman is cold but the man sees her leaving as a 'gift' or a pleasant thing to be happening' but describes it with negatively connoted words. This may be to reflect the dark mood and atmosphere of the novel or to suggest the woman sinister and unknown character.   

 

 

5 Points To Describe What I Have Learnt About The Road So Far

The Road – Task 1

 

5 points to describe what I have learnt so far –

1.    This book is based on mainly on four ‘trashy’ horror films or ‘B Movies’ (movies that would become before the main feature film in Hollywood viewing.) They are more farcical and satirical, the audience laugh at what they should find disturbing. These are Dawn of The Dead, Last House on The Left, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. McCarthy took these films and decided to remove the satirical elements to make The Road seem more horrifying.

One word to describe this point – Horror/B Movie

2.    It is post-apocalyptic literature. Meaning it is based around low culture such as video games, trashy horror films, gossip magazines etc. Post-apocalyptic literature is a subgenre of science fiction and horror fiction which talks mainly about the end of human civilisation – which is reflected in The Road.

One word to describe this point – post-apocalyptic

3.    Inspired by The Cold War. People would live in bunkers underground in their garden and predicted that that would be how future generations would live – underground. Enduring the Cold War tensions is what inspired The Road.

One word to describe this point – cold war

4.    McCarthy was inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis. He took himself (aged 64) and his son (aged 6) on a trip to Nevada and just stood looking out onto a barren, open landscape and imagined what it would be like if it were to be just himself and his son left alive. This was his inspiration for the characters in The Road.

One word to describe this point – alone/isolated

5.    Was based on post-modern literature, which is an oxymoron/contradiction as you cannot have ‘after modern’/‘after now’ literature. This style of literature is deliberately ironic and tends to be a mix of many different genres. Post-modern literature also takes all its inspiration from the wrong things.

One word to describe this point –post-modern