Introductory Essay: "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is a novel about an unnamed father and son who are traveling in a post-apocalypse America. I chose the novel because of its unique style, powerful story, and the thought-provoking questions that it raises. I have read it three times: first on my own, second for an American literature course, and again in a course devoted to McCarthy and Flannery O'Conner. Each reading improved my appreciation for the book and I found new and interesting details and depth to the text. I recommended it to my friends and family and I noticed that my classmates really enjoyed it as well. Given that positive response, I think it would be a great candidate for an American Literature course in high school because of its combination of accessibility and depth.
"The Road" is Cormac McCarthy's twelfth novel and it might be his last. His first novel, "The Orchard Keeper," establishes his concern with modern industry overtaking nature which is a theme that continues in his work up to "The Road." McCarthy presents a dying environment but never specifies the cause of the apocalypse, but the setting heightens the action and leads the reader to see the possible destiny of our society. But on a more metaphorical level, the setting allows the reader to see aspects of our current society and humanity clearer, since the distracting elements are removed, and what McCarthy gives us are the bare essentials. One of the central questions of the book is: what things in our lives have the real value? In the relationship of the father and son, he presents a possible answer that connection to others is where the deepest meaning comes from.