That is the Sad Truth

Daniela´s blog really caught my attention, in her post Remember-The Road, I agree with her when she says that McCarthy´s "bold" act on changing from third person to first person, is an interesting catch. It makes us wonder what it was important and different about that part of the story that made him change the way he wrote or even the way he saw it. I like how Daniela analysis and focuses on how you are remembered in life, but I disagree behind her reasoning. I believe that it does matter what you do in life, off course you have to enjoy it, but depending if you want to leave a "footprint" or not, or it depends on the choices that that human being makes, it does make a difference if the person is remembered or not. Thats the sad truth.

Does That Word Even Exist?

There are words that are small like quoits others like bivouacked (does that word even exist?), McCarthy has a pretty big vocabulary which is transmitted throughout the book, these are some that caught my attention;

"They used to play quoits in the road with

four big steel washers..."

1. quoits, (noun) a game in which ringsof rope or

flattened metal are thrown at an upright peg,

the object being to enci

rcle it or come as close to it as possible.

"They clanked past, marching with a swaying gait likewind-up toys"

gait

 

noun1.a manner of walking, stepping, or running.

"They bivouacked in the woods much nearer to the road than he would have liked."

1.

a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter

or protection from

enemy fire.

Humanity vs. Survival

When both, the father and son, enter to what used to be his house, Mccarthy rapidly responds with letting us know that the father had a childhood in this house, and the memories flying through the fathers mind. His childhood wasnt exactly the colorful and happy that we see in movies or in other books, it was the cause of the present, of the future that he is going through with his son. He starts wondering what is his real destiny or goal in life. And does he really have one? "He thought that in the history of the world it might even be that there was more punishment than crime but he took small comfort from it." (33)

When they leave the waterfall, they find this trailer in which seems to be abandoned. The father and son decide to sleep there for the night. Lucky, in having a place to sleep, the father decides to light a fire, when suddenly they realize that they are surrounded with dead bodies,"Human bodies. Sprawled in every attitude. Dried and shrunken in their rotted clothes. The small wad of burning paper drew down to a wisp of flame and then died out leaving a faint pattern for just a moment in the incandescence like the shape of a flower, a molten rose. Then all was dark again.My attention immediatley turns to the son, and I start to realize that this kid has gone through so much, that who knows what he thinks about humanity, or what he goes through when he sees a dead body. His sense and perspective about human life must be all over the place without knowing what to feel or say when he is confronted with a dead body.

No Words. Too Much to Say.

The relationship between the kid and the father can be very debatable. Although they are father and son, we can see that there is a distance between them as seen in various conversations throughout the book, the author implies this feeling by introducing a conversation without much meaning but at the same time making us realize that they are going through a very hard time,

“Are we going in?

Why not?

I’m scared.

Don’t you want to see where I used to live?

No.

It’ll be okay.

There could be somebody here.

I don’t think so.

But suppose there is?” (25)

By this conversation, we can see how the author takes a simple conversation, letting the reader analyze and wonder, why is it so simple? Or is there a bigger meaning behind it. Personally, It isn't about the conversation itself, by the way that is written and connected with the rest of the book. By this I mean, that we can see through the punctuation and scarceness of words, how the author is trying to imply that the characters have gone through a lot of pain and that there are almost no words to create a feeling or sensation about something. Behind those non-complex words, there is a great appreciation for one another, they have nothing else but themselves.