The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a novel about a father and his son surviving in a post apocalyptic world. The entire story is focused on the duo traveling on a road headed south in hopes of finding something more. The book doesn’t explain how the apocalypse happened, in fact it is set many years after the catastrophic events, whatever they may have been, took place. Cormac McCarthy describes what the world could look like when even sunlight is a rare commodity, never mind food, water, and shelter. – The Road is not only a story of a father and son trying to survive physically, but it also does a great job of describing how they survive mentally and spiritually.
While reading this book, I couldn’t help but find myself respecting the father (often referred to as the man) and his continuous efforts and quality of character.
There were many times in this book where I asked myself:
How would I handle this situation?
Could I keep pushing forward, even after everything?
At what point does one truly resort to cannibalism?
You know, just the simple questions one asks themselves when reading anything by Cormac McCarthy.
But in all seriousness, I did really enjoy this book. I truly felt like there was a lot one could pull from it. – Below are my (10) biggest takeaways from “The Road”.
- Protect your why. – Throughout the entire book, the father demonstrated verbally and physically that the child was his reason why. Everything he did was for the greater good of the child. He protected his why, and his reason for living. To me, this take away was so important. It was a reminder that in life, that not only having a why, but protecting it, will get you pretty far down the road.
- Keep pushing forward. – Night after night, the man and his son were cold, miserable and starving. They were constantly running into cannibal bandits, and ran out of supplies almost every other day. But, they kept pushing forward. Even when times were good and they stumbled across food and shelter, they kept pushing forward. During this entire book I was absolutely amazed at the grit the man and his son had, their ability to constantly push forward through everything, good or bad, was truly something amazing to read and reflect on.
- Take the time to enjoy the little things. – There were a few times in the book where the man and the kid found themselves in small victories, without being self destructive gluttons and rushing the victory into a quick ending. They savoured every moment humbly, as if they were aware it would not last. This had me thinking about how many times I have rushed through some moments in my life. Moments that I would have enjoyed way more if I took my time. Like rushing through family dinners just to be done, or powering through a walk with my dog so that I can go do something less important. Whatever it is, taking the time to enjoy the little things as though they may never happen again is a take away I am happy I found.
- Fear will drive people to do crazy things – I felt that almost every person that the man and the kid encountered, including them, were surviving purely off fear. Fear of starvation, fear of being stalked, fear of being cold, or fear of being attacked and robbed. Fear will have people doing crazy things, it will have people doing things you never thought a human was capable of. It had me really questions how I would react if I was truly faced with these types of situations. It’s so easy to act calm and content when you are warm and safe, but how would you act if the only thing keeping you alive was fear itself?
- All things will surely pass – Many times in the book, the man reflects on his past life before the apocalypse. He walks the same streets as he did when he was a kid, visits the same neighbourhoods, and even comes across his childhood home. But now, they are all just memories. And what they are today, will only change into the new memories of tomorrow. No matter what the duo went though, it all just became another passing part in the story. This is true for every single one of us, everything we experience, create, or go through. All of it will eventually pass by. They are all just moments in time, even though sometimes it feels like it will last forever. For me this isn’t a depressing take away, it is a reminder on how important it is to enjoy the moment Infront of you, and to always know that “this to will pass”
- Lead with love. – There is a part in the story when the man and the kid come across a knocked over vending machine. They end up pulling out a can of Coke. Before the man even considers taking a sip of it, he offers the child the can of pop. – He goes through this internal dialogue about remembering what Coke tasted like and the joys it brought him. He knew that the child may never have this chance again. This interaction was a subtle reminder that one of the most important things you can do is lead with love. It reminded me, in life you will come across a lot of “Coke” cans, and instead of slamming back the bubbly syrup, keeping it all for yourself. Share the contents within, because you know how good it tastes. And by sharing what you know, you are in fact leading with love by letting others enjoy it as well.
- How important the human character is. – Throughout the entire book the man shows just how important the human character is. From providing the child hope and meaning, even when there is little to be found. To taking risks and making tough decisions that carry life changing results. Life in the best of conditions will test us, never mind trying to raise a child in a post apocalyptic world. – In conditions such as the ones described in the book, your true character is quickly reveled. And I felt that the man demonstrated how having a solid character will take you pretty damn far.
- Be bold but be cautious. – There are many times in the book when the man and the kid approach suspicious buildings, and people. In many of these moments they usually approach with extreme caution by watching it from a distance. But when they make a move, they make it boldly! They drop all their belongings and do whatever it is they need to do. Now there are times when it doesn’t pay off for them. But, there are also times when it pays off greatly. – Many times in life we will have the opportunity to act boldly. These opportunities are important to recognize. But, it is also important to proceed with caution. Understand that being bold means making moves you are going to be committed to, regardless of the outcome.
- The world you grew up in, is not the same world that you will leave. – There is a part in this book where the man and the kid are getting into a verbal argument, and the man yells at the kid. “You are not the one that has to worry about everything” and the kid mumbles back under his breath, “yes I am.” This was the moment the man truly realized that the world he was adjusting to, was also the same world the boy was being raised in. The world that was still going to exist, even after he was gone. – This was an important take away for me because it was a reminder that life will go on. It will change. And the things that we are constantly getting adjusted to, will be the next generations normal.
- Your spirit will still be present, even when everything else is gone. – This book does a great job at showing what a post apocalyptic world would look like, long after all the bullets, fuel, and food are gone. It deeply shows what fear and desperation look like when death is the only other option. It also shows the importance of the human spirit. Many times, the man and the kid talk about carrying the fire, this metaphoric internal flame that is supposed to guide you. He also tells the kid how even after he is gone, he will still be able to speak with him, by talking to him through prayer like he is still there. – To me, I truly felt like this book hit the mark on showing that even in the darkest and coldest of times, your spirit can keep you going. That even when it seems like there is no rhyme or reason to anything, your desire for something good will keep you honest and virtuous. The trials and tribulation of the man and the kid, show us that even in a world where everything is gone. Your spirit will still be present.
In summary, I feel like this book had a lot of pretty powerful take aways. I would highly recommend this book to most people. It was a quick read, is considered a classic by many. And overall it is a decent story. – I would rate this book a 7/10.