McCarthy is one of my favorite authors, and his style is
both very unique and quite consistent. He relies on vivid imagery, in The
Road especially, to construct a portrait in the reader's mind that is filled
with near hopelessness. Consider the double tragedy to start the novel, the nondescript
apocalyptic disaster that is slowly, simultaneously exterminating mankind and its
humanity at the same time, and the grim suicide of his wife, leaving the man and his son
alone.
Consider the mission they are on, both simple and
hopeless in its own right: to make it to the ocean. To follow the coastline south to
where there are perhaps, still some sane people left, or some food to survive on. Even
the reader can't buy into the plan as something to focus on in the book. McCarthy's
tone, introduction and setting constantly reminds the reader not to look towards the
end, towards the resolution. It slowly convinces us to accept the reality that there is
no solution, no hope, and daily survival is the only thing that's relevant and
possible. Survive to the next page, the next chapter, and you begin to
understand.
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