The Importance of the Road in the Novel

• It can be assumed, regardless of the country in which the novel is set, that there is not just a single road stretching as far a distance as the characters travel. Yet it is always referred to in the singular form never the plural. Therefore, the road can be seen as a metaphor for the characters' personal choices. They could take the common path- the one taken by the 'bad guys'- which leads to the breakdown of humanity, but they take the less travelled route on which they are in less danger of forgetting who they are. Their chosen path is clearly harder since they are in a constant battle to survive without losing their humanity but the fact that they continue on it despite the novel's many hurdles shows the optimistic, determined personalities of the man and boy. At several points in the novel they consult a map and this could be at moments when they are questioning their direction yet these episodes are soon overcome and when they are actually walking they do not look at a map because they know which route they have chosen. Therefore, the road is a symbol of hope because it shows that, despite the collapse of civilisation, people still have choice. Furthermore, the man guides the son along the road, regularly telling him that 'we're carrying the fire' which creates the idea that if one person chooses the right path then others will follow. So in a way, the man's death is irrelevant because he has already shown the boy the way and the boy will carry on this path teaching others as the 'breath of God.'

• The abandoning of the shopping cart on the road symbolises the abandonment of consumerism and the back to basics still approach that the man and boy have to adopt in order to survive.

• Roads rarely come to a complete stop and leave the traveller in the middle of nowhere with no other destination therefore the focus on a road implies that neither will humanity or the Earth.