Topic > Analysis of Optimism in "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Hope in The RoadIn the novel The Road, there are many depressing themes that immediately catch the reader's eyes; desperation, struggle and adversity to name a few. The novel follows a man and son struggling to survive in a seemingly post-nuclear apocalypse. That doesn't leave much room for sunshine and happiness. However, Cormac McCarthy somehow manages to highlight a rather nice theme throughout his novel: hope. McCarthy illustrates the idea of ​​hope in The Road using the relationship between the man and the boy and character traits. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the novel, the man and boy talk to each other about “bringing fire.” In a world full of darkness and cannibalism, this is a phrase that stands out. “Bringing the fire” into such a dark time would imply that the couple has a cause, or a reason to move forward. On page 83, the slogan is first mentioned by the boy when talking to the security man. This conversation is started by the boy. “Everything will be fine, right, dad? Yes. We are. And nothing bad will happen to us. Exact. Because we're bringing the fire. Yes. Because we are bringing the fire.” Both the man and the boy use the phrase as a kind of protection against the evils of the world. The fact that the man and the boy carry with them this fire, this light of hope, ultimately makes them feel safer. It's an ironic conversation considering a lot of bad things have already happened to them, but the hope that the fire brings gives them both a sense of security that good things must happen to good people. Once again, the fire is mentioned at the end of the book. On page 283, when the boy meets other people, he asks them if they are the ones who bring the fire. When they answer yes, the reader can feel the same hope that the boy feels after spending so much time running from bad guys to finally find himself with a group that has the same hope and goodness as him. Even at the end of In the novel, the boy has one of his last conversations with his father where you see, even at the end, his father's hope. “Do you remember that little boy, dad? Yes. I remember it. Do you think he's okay, that little boy? Oh yes. I think he's fine. Do you think he was lost? No. I don't think he was lost. I'm afraid he was lost. I think he's fine. But who will find it if it is lost? Who will find the boy? “Goodness will find the little boy. It always has been. He will do it again." In all honesty, the man has no reason to believe that the little boy wasn't lost, that he was okay, or even that goodness would find him. McCarthy effectively showcases blind hope in this passage .The man has hope in the good and in the little boy despite being on his deathbed with no evidence to show him how the little boy might be. This is a rather significant display of hope due to the fact that the man and the boy are surrounded by the. darkness, from the impending death of the father and from the fact that the boy will soon have to face the world alone. Despite all the adversities, there is a very real example of hope. On the topic of blind hope, the boy often speaks throughout the novel of the "good guys." At the beginning of the novel, the two coin this term to describe themselves, although on page 103 the boy begins to ask about the other so-called "good guys" coming yes. They could be good guys, right?” Up to this point, everyone the two have met on the street (with the exception of the dying man who was struck by lightning) has tried to harm them. Logic would have it that whoever came along the way would be bad news for.