Your+Questions+and+Answers+for+'The+Road'


 * These are questions and answers from class discussions. **


 * It includes a list of the major themes of the novel. **

- To stay alive because "they will not survive another winter" where they live. - So they have some idea where they are going. They have direction in a chaotic world. - To get to the sea where they might find other people, salvation. - The man follows the road because he is familiar with it. He has been on this trip before with his father.
 * Why are they traveling down the road?**

- Because his dreams are better than his reality. They are a powerful contrast to his reality. - Because they are his memories. - It helps him escape reality. It is a survival mechanism for his brain to escape into a past world. - He dreams more as he becomes more sick and feverish. - Most of his dreams are about his wife.
 * Why does the man dream so much?**

"And the dreams so rich in colour. How else would death call you?" (p20) "I was crying but you didnt wake up." (p195) "One night the boy woke from a dream and would not tell him what it was." (p201) "When your dreams are of some world that never was or of some world that never will be and you are happy again then you will have given up." (p202) "I dont have good dreams anyway. They're always about something bad happening. You said that was okay because good dreams are not a good sign. Maybe. I dont know." (p288)
 * Quotes about dreams:**

- It is cold and dangerous. The cold could kill them just as easily as anything else. - It creates a bleak existence. - The lack of colour is depressing, especially for the man. - This brings more contrast when they do find colour and warmth and safety, such as in the bunker, the refernces to colour are warmer than before.
 * What is the effect of the setting on the characters?**

- That there's not much chance for the characters to survive and that each day is a battle to dstay alive. - That cannibalism will surface in such times as these and this is meant to shock you into thinkiong that human beings are capoable of doing this to each other. - That there are lessons to be learnt on how to survive, find food, shelter, clothing, etc... - It contrasts and exaggerates the euphoria of finding small pleasures that we take for granted (a can of coke)
 * What is the intended effect of the theme of survival?**

- Yes, because we all know America is likely to start an apocalyptical event. - Apparently, some parts of America look like that already and this book could be a warning about the environment.
 * Is the setting of America significant?**

- To show that the journey is on-going, neverending. - To show that there is no rest for the characters, it is a continual feat of endurance to keep going. - The lack of apostrophes is a feature of all of his books. In interviews he says they impede the reading process. - Another structural feature common in his writing is **compound words**. He uses many compund words that show combinations of ideas and his creative use of language, for which he is famous.
 * Why are there no chapters or apostrophes?**

- To show how far a father would go to protect his son and to keep him alive. - To show how easily life can disappear, to show how precious life is, especially goodness in life. - To show how humans can adapt to their surroundings, or to hypothesize about how they might act.
 * What is the main idea of the book?**

- Morality - Violence - Extreme violence - Survival at all costs - Father and son relationships - The apocalypse - The environment (it could be a warning about global warming) - Isolation - Desperation - Death
 * What are some of the most important themes?**

- There is no need for names in this world - Nobody cares anymore, there is no need for names when there is no society. - Because they are no-one, they don't know anyone long enough - When there is nothing left, and you have nothing, not even your name, this is what happens to human society.
 * Why don't the characters have names?**

- The boy cries for his father and feels scared and alone - He is rescued by the family that has been following them. - There is no real ending, the journey of survival carries on with the new family.
 * What happens after the father dies?**