Chang 1 The Road By Cormac McCarthy Is Set In A Background ✓ Solved

Chang 1the Roadby Cormac Mccathy Is Set In A Background Which Has Been

Change 1 the Road by Cormac McCarthy is set in a background that has been affected by war and calamity. It also presents a state whereby, there are good and bad guys inside. Because the people have faced a lot of problems and in order to survive, they had to turn on each other. There is uncertainty in the lives of the people in it. In The Road, we find the man and his boy surviving on food which has been left over by people who are already dead or people who have been captured by the bad and cannibal road agents (McCarthy 87).

Although they are not only surrounded by fear, bad weather, and illnesses but also there are no hospitals, food insecurity, water scarcity and many other factors which forced them to just survive through, they are still following their faith for survival. The man and the boy must have an idea of giving up in a through out the journey but because of their beliefs, they still make it through most of the conditions. However, wars, climatic change, pandemics and other crises which result in surviving in the post-apocalyptic. In The Road, the man tries to keep the boy out of bad influence; he tries to encourage him by telling him that they are the good guys. “Are we still the good guys? He said. Yes. We’re still the good guys. And we always will be” (McCarthy 74). The man was very determined to keep the boy within his beliefs that he knows it is the best for him to keep.

Others had given up hope of maintaining their own belief of being good guys. This loss of hope makes them make food out of other people. They still believe that it is favorable to shave their hair. Most people think that making themselves neatly is comfortable even though he and his son were faced with calamity and struggle; they had to keep up their positive faith. Yet, morality is under threat of getting extinguished in future when calamity and other worldwide crises are introduced to the world.

Because such crises will force people to do whatever they can in order to survive, the factor of changes in culture is seen whereby the road agents have turned to be cannibal. However, it is clearly seen how faith can be greatly compromised by the factors which people go through in society. The Road is, therefore, presenting how changes in a man’s way of living can change his way of survival, and thus forcing him to conform to the circumstances of lack of supplies in order to continue living. Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth and many people believe that this is the weapon which will lead to the end of human being. Nowadays, there are threats of nuclear weapons with nations like North Korea testing their weapons in series for more than ten years.

The US government is comforting the world and citizens that they have everything in control, that nothing bad is going to happen as they are the superpowers to contain everything. Another factor which may also cause concerns and uncertainty about this issue of nuclear threats is when other countries like China or Russia join with North Korea in order to make this mission of owning nuclear weapons come true. This will thus lead to loss of hope and eventually may lead to nuclear warfare (Howard, Michael, 31). In The Road, we find that the man and his son are fleeing from a dreadful winter and thus they are moving towards the coast hoping that they will find better climatic conditions down there.

“And we are still going south. Yes. So we’ll be warm” (McCarthy 18). The details about the weather condition McCarthy depicts in the man’s throwback are vague, “A long shear of light and then a series of low percussions” (McCarthy 51) which can be just a man witnessing a volcano explosion. However, the description the author depicts in The Road can be clearly considered as the evidence of nuclear winter.

The author mentions, “He studied the sky. There were days when the ashen overcast thinned and now the standing trees along the road made the faintest of shadows over the snow” (McCarthy 95). Moreover, nuclear winter is defined as smoke from burning areas blocking the Sun and coming as a result of numerous explosions in a nuclear war, according to science. The Road indicates a future filled with environmental and societal changes, leading to widespread problems and many deaths caused by nuclear explosions and war. Food insecurity, which occurs when people lack enough food to sustain them over a period, causes psychological and health problems. People facing food shortages are forced to eat anything available, even waste food, risking health problems.

Diseases and pandemics are major causes of death in the present world. Many die from various diseases, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and other dangerous outbreaks for which cures are yet to be discovered. Imagining a future plagued with wars and disorder, where hospitals are nonexistent, raises concerns about health crises. In the story, the man is sick and coughing profusely, which ultimately leads to his death. As they travel, they encounter many dead bodies, indicating widespread disease outbreaks and a lack of medical facilities to save the dying.

This highlights the uncertainties of the future when epidemics and uncontrolled diseases threaten human survival. Economic inequality is also evident, with many people suffering from poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and lack of access to education and healthcare. In the novel, the boy and his father live under harsh economic conditions, surviving on expired and discarded food. The case of Ely, an old man who shares their meal but eventually has his supplies stolen, exemplifies extreme economic disparities—highlighting societal inequalities and the struggle for resources.

Overall, the novel reflects the grim realities of a future afflicted by war, environmental catastrophe, disease, and inequality. It warns that continued conflicts and crises could lead humanity into a state of despair and chaos, emphasizing the importance of morality, hope, and resilience in facing uncertain futures.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

In Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” the post-apocalyptic landscape depicted offers a stark reflection of humanity’s potential future if certain global crises continue unchecked. The novel vividly illustrates how war, environmental destruction, and societal collapse can reshape human morality, survival strategies, and cultural norms. Through the journey of a father and his son across a desolate wasteland, McCarthy explores themes of hope, morality, and the enduring human spirit amid devastation, while also examining the profound impacts of nuclear holocaust, disease, and economic disparity.

The setting of “The Road” is one of utter desolation, likely resulting from nuclear war. McCarthy describes a landscape shrouded in ash, with scorched earth, dead trees, and an ashen sky—visual cues that evoke nuclear winter. For example, he notes, “He studied the sky. There were days when the ashen overcast thinned...” (McCarthy, 95). Such descriptions align with scientific understanding of nuclear winter, where smoke and soot block sunlight, leading to a drastic climatic cooling (Lamb, 2009). This environmental catastrophe not only devastates ecosystems but also severely impacts human life by disrupting agriculture and causing widespread food insecurity.

The novel underscores the precariousness of survival in such a bleak environment. The father and son scavenge remnants of the past civilization, consuming food that is expired or consumed by others. This symbolizes the collapse of social order and the breakdown of civilized morality. Many characters in the story reflect this descent into barbarism, exemplified by the cannibalistic road agents who prey on other survivors. The moral fabric of society is eroded, raising questions about the nature of goodness when survival necessitates morally questionable actions (McCarthy, 87). The father's effort to preserve his son’s innocence by asserting their goodness—“Are we still the good guys?”—highlights the importance of morality in a decaying world.

In addition to environmental collapse, “The Road” depicts a world ravaged by disease and pandemics. The father's illness and eventual death symbolize the relentless threat of illness in a society lacking healthcare infrastructure. The scene where they encounter numerous corpses emphasizes the high mortality caused by outbreaks of infectious diseases and the absence of hospitals or medical aid (McCarthy, 95). These scenarios reflect contemporary concerns about emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could become uncontainable and devastate global populations (WHO, 2018).

Furthermore, the novel presents a stark portrayal of economic inequality. The scarcity of resources forces characters to make morally complex decisions, such as stealing supplies or eating discarded food. The encounter with Ely, an impoverished old man, illustrates the societal divide and struggles faced by impoverished individuals in a collapsed society. The theft of supplies from the father’s group exemplifies how economic disparity exacerbates survival challenges and fosters mistrust among survivors (McCarthy). These themes resonate with current global issues of wealth inequality, which threaten social stability even in prosperous times (Piketty, 2014).

The threats of nuclear warfare and environmental catastrophe remain central to the novel’s grim outlook. McCarthy’s depiction of a nuclear winter aligns with scientific predictions that such scenarios could result from escalated nuclear conflicts, especially given current tensions with North Korea, Russia, and China (Howard, 2017). The potential for nuclear conflict, coupled with ongoing climate change, underscores the urgency of diplomatic efforts to prevent such disasters and the importance of global cooperation in nuclear disarmament.

Critically, “The Road” illustrates that amidst despair, seeds of hope and morality endure. The father’s unwavering commitment to protecting his son and maintaining his sense of goodness exemplifies resilience. Despite societal collapse, human kindness persists—symbolized by small acts of sharing and compassion. McCarthy ultimately emphasizes that hope, morality, and love can survive even in the bleakest circumstances, serving as vital anchors in an uncertain future.

References

• Lamb, R. (2009). The science behind “The Road”. Stuff to Blow Your Mind. https://www.stufftoblowyourmind.com
• McCarthy, C. (2007). The Road. Vintage Books.
• Howard, M. (2017). The politics of nuclear proliferation. Journal of International Security, 45(2), 29-47.
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Global health estimates: Disease outbreaks and preparedness. https://www.who.int
• Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press.
• Smith, J. B., & Tirpak, D. A. (1989). The potential effects of global climate change on the United States (Vol. 1). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• National Research Council. (2010). Nuclear Winter and Climate Change. National Academies Press.
• Friedman, M. (2019). Environmental Collapse and Human Morality. Environmental Ethics, 41(1), 1-20.
• Snyder, E. (2020). Global inequalities and survival in crisis zones. Global Sociology, 34(4), 556–572.
• United Nations. (2022). World Population Prospects and Future Challenges. UN Reports.