The Road (Post 3)

7. If every novel is an author’s attempt to answer one of life’s questions, what question is McCarthy attempting to answer? Explain

Where is the light? Everybody has some light keeping them alive. The light is making life bearable and happier. In the book, the man’s light is the boy or rather his son. He strives to make sure that this boy can have a better life and keeps moving forward in hopes that he’ll get him there. Without the boy he would have nothing and he would be nothing. The world is too dark and gray to have anything to look forward to, but luckily this man has this little innocent son who’s age is unknown to the reader. The love that they both have for each other keeps them going and moves them forward and even with the man dying, the boy finds a light in someone else and continues his journey.

When you have someone or something that makes you happy, you are more likely to live just to be with them and not have them suffer by losing you. When all else is dark, find a light to carry you forward on your journey and make it a little more worthwhile. Someone that can even make it a tiny bit better. Not even necessarily someone but something. It could be a memory or a picture or a sentimental object or really anything that makes you happy. Thinking of a bright future is probably the best light there is. Just having a glass half full instead of half empty.

Even though life is rough sometimes, we need to pull through and stick it out until the very end. The light you have with you in the dark will only help to pull you forward.