A+Summary+of+'The+Road'+pages+165-225


 * A Summary of "The Road" pages 165-225 **

Continuing from when they left the bunker, the man is spooked by the sound of a dog because that means people are about.

One of the most interesting conversations between the ** father and the son ** occurs on pages 166-169. It is a conversation that shows the boy's imagination and inquisitiveness. He asks a lot of questions and is interested in space- like most 10 year old boys are. He is questioning his place in the universe, considering the same ** existential questions ** his father does, but on a much smaller scale. He wonders about Mars and whether they could get there by spaceship. The conversation turns abruptly with the boy's realisation that there are no crows and this is the reality of the world where most things that were are now gone and will never be again. There is not much space for imagination when your world is gray. Then he finishes with the matter-of-fact admission that he threw his flute away. It is a **symbolic** moment that signals the end of innocence for the boy.

The other interesting conversation is when they encounter 'Ely' on their travels. Ely brings with him many issues and themes in the book. The foremost is ** identity **. He asks the man "What are you?"(p172) rather than who are you. Once it has been established that the man is the dominant male ("I know I can look."(p178)), and that they have extra food, and that he is alone, they decide to share a meal with him. The old man gives his name as Ely but we are sure he is lying because as he says he "couldnt trust you with it. To do something with it. To say where I was or what I said when I was there." (p182). Ely is a biblical name, another ** biblical allusion **, which is interesting because of the old man's confused non-belief in God- "There is no God. No? There is no God and we are his prophets." Again, McCarthy is offering how an apocalyptic event might question a person's faith in God. Whether you are a believer or an atheist, McCarthy wants you also to consider your own beliefs if you applied them to this fictional scenario.

The incident with Ely is interesting to ponder. Why did McCarthy put this ** character ** in the novel? Perhaps it is best illustrated in the movie where the character offers a rare moment of comic relief. He is funny, odd, compelling and at times insightful to the current state of mankind. He is also the only positive interaction the man has with another adult, and is also the only time the man show ** compassion **and lets his guard down.

The theme of ** death ** appears on page 203 as we see more imagery that paints a picture of the immediate aftermath of the apocalyptic event that ended the world. Then again, in the most horrific way possible, on pages 211-212, we come across the baby on the spit. Even the boy who is hardened to grim sights of death ("so strangely untroubled" (p203)), can barely handle this one. What makes the experience more effective is how McCarthy puts the smell of cooking before we know what is cooking. The ** intended effect ** is, of course, to shock the reader. It makes us see for ourselves just how dangerous this world is in which they travel. It is another very clear example of the very clear line between ** good and bad **in a society that has become self-regulating.

This section of the book ends with them taking refuge in another abandoned house.