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The Road; Literary Luminary
Towards the beginning of The Road, as the man is having a "flashback" to when the mysterious apocalypse first occurred, the flow of people escaping the danger is described as “Creedless shells of men
tottering down the causeways like migrants in a feverland" (McCarthy 28). What impact does this word choice, along with
the literary devices utilized -- metaphor and simile -- have on you as a reader? What do you think the author’s purpose was to
use this certain phrasing?
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ReplyDeleteThe impact his (or her) word choosing has on me leaves me feeling sad; and not just sad, but with a feelings of emptiness, like a certain hope was lost. But what I found interesting is that he (or she) called the men creedless. Upon further investigation, I found out that creedless is a formulated system of belief or opinion. But why did he call them creedless shells? Maybe it is because he sees them as people who all follow something but in their hearts or whatever, they are really empty. Their minds are just blank and to him, the man or author, he sees them as mere shells of people who are but aren’t. The way the author uses the simile though, is what really hits it home. It kind of gives you a more realistic image on what these men might look like, which is migrants (or as I see them, refugees) who are traveling through a fever land. They probably look pale and so skinny, that they look almost hollow. I think the author used this form of writing because it gives you more feeling to how the apocalypse just tore the world and its people apart. You get a sense of how people, without telling anyone, just gave up to the point where they were all like, “Yeah! We’ll survive!” when in reality, in their heads, they’re just like, “I’m ready to die.” I believe McCarthy compared these men to migrants in a fever land to give the reader a sense of realism to the fiction. –Karina
ReplyDeleteThis is a harder question for The Road. I agree with the previous comment in saying that people are like empty souls. I believe that Cormac McCarthy used this simile and metaphor to show the dilemma that they were in. I believe the word "migrants" was a key word that really spoke to the reader to show them how hard it would be for them. In the post apocalypse world people are not governed and it’s a everyman for themselves world. It is mentioned at the start of the book about how other people are like empty souls. “The brain that pulsed in a dull glass bell.” (Cormarthy McCarthy, 4) The area that they are in is also described as dull and gray. They say religion gives people life and color, but in a land with out God there would be no light or color. People then have nothing to live for they are also dull and empty. These people have no humanity that is why they act like animals. The Boy and Papa carry the Fire, fire is life and light. They are the migrants of those who carry life in the land of the dead. This quote that the question asked is a good quote that makes the reader how hollow it is there and how they are truly all alone. "There is no God and we are his prophets." (Cormac McCarthy,143) With this quote you can see how they are all alone and how they try to keep the Fire going in the world without God.
ReplyDeleteKarina: I definitely agree with your comment. Your comment really does a great job of showing the effects that these literary devices have on the reader. I thought of them as refugees, as well, seeing as how they were trying to escape the dangers of the apocalypse.
ReplyDeleteNicole: I agree with your points as well. The first quote you used about the "dull glass bell" really does encompass how the survivors felt -- empty and hopeless. The fire that you mentioned is a great symbol throughout the book, and also how they "carry the fire". I think, like you said, the fire symbolizes life and light, but also hope for a better life and being the supposed "good guys".