The Road,by McCarthy

1. Early in the novel, the Man makes the following statement about his son: "If he is not the word of God, God never spoke." What does this reveal about the Man's struggle to have faith in God? Has the man lost his faith? 2. Consider the burned man, Ely, and the thief — all are individuals that the Man and Boy meet at different parts of their journey. In each case, what is the Boy's reaction to these individuals and how does he demonstrate Christian values? How does the Boy contrast with his father? What does this tell us about how their journey has changed them? 3. Why does the Man's wife kill herself? Why does the Man carry on? How can the Man have hope in a world so full of darkness and destruction? 4. Throughout The Rood, the lines of morality are blurred. Acts that would normally be seen as criminal are seen as means of survival and not immoral. Discuss 3-4 examples from throughout the novel (i.e. not all from the beginning, but rather spread throughout the book — beginning, middle, end) that can be justified as correct but are in fact morally wrong. Make sure to explain why they are actions that the characters choose to take, and how they can be justified in the context of this apocalyptic world. 5. Explain whether or not you think the good guys ultimately triumph in the story and if they do, why. As part of your answer, describe what makes someone "good" or "bad" in the context of the novel. 6. For the final prompt, choose one of the following: • The Man is a constant source of motivation and strength for the Boy. Discuss a time in your life when you felt God, your family, or friends didn't give up on you or your situation and continued to persevere and encourage you in spite of hard times. • There are times when the Boy is skeptical of his father and his ability to create hope. Discuss a time in your life when it seemed hard to place trust in God and the knowledge that he was working in your best interest. • One theme the book emphasizes is the idea of "carrying the fire." Describe a time in your life where you did this for someone else. Who did you inspire to not give up? Also discuss how you might bring this energy to school as you start this year as the Senior Class leaders. Give concrete examples of things you can do.      

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