Keep On Hoping

As the story progresses, and the man and the boy have more difficulty staying alive, their hopes of survival start wavering. The boy asks more often if they are going to die, and the father has trouble contradicting him. With the terrible cold, and the lack of food and sleep, their future looks pretty dark.

In the little sleep they got, the man would have "rich dreams which he was loathe to wake from," and he would be saddened to remember "things no longer known in the world." (131) Before, it would never have crossed their mind that they wouldn't have those things that seem natural, that they took for granted. Their life would change in the blink of an eye.

The man was full of desperation, and "the cold drove him forth to mend the fire." (131) After being outside for so long, in contact with only one other human being, it is easy to imagine that he starts to question his humanity. His priorities have become that of an animal, preceded by food, sleep, shelter, and protection from predators. It is because of this loss of human identity that he is driven to "mend the fire." Fire was discovered by men, and it hasn't been done by any other animal. By proving to himself that he can still produce fire, he becomes reassured of his humanity. We know that he has taught this to his son, as he is known to say that they are the good guys because they are carrying the fire.

Right when the man and his son are about to give up, the man finds something that saves his life. They stay in a shelter for the next couple of days, filled with cans of food and tools left by someone who didn't have a chance of facing the apocalypse. They get to rest on real beds, and eat real food. They sleep under a ceiling and with a full stomach. It is very important for McCarthy to give this kind of hope to the characters as well as the readers, because it renews everyone's energy and opens the possibility of a longer, yet successful, journey.

The man finds scissors in the midst of goods available to them, and uses them to cut the boy's and his hair. It can also be seen as a revitalization of life, and the recreation of that faith and the hope of survival. They have a new face to face the world with, and they have rekindled their spirits. Those happy days in which the man and the boy see their future brighten is my favorite part of The Road.