LIT LOG "The Road", Cire Ross

Symbolism:

There is a lot of symbolism that occurs in, “The Road.” In the first passage in the book there is an initial attraction to the author’s writing style. It seems to be so descriptive yet so broad. What I mean by broad is that the author never tells us the characters names or their looks. He describes the atmosphere that paints a vivid picture in the reader’s head. Using the terms “the man” and “the boy” instead of names makes it hard for the reader to identify the characters. The symbols in the book “the road,” are pertinent to encapsulate the dark/cold setting of the novel.

One recurring description that is used throughout the book is the word gray. He uses the word gray quite repetitively throughout the passage. Like when the author describes the “shape of the city” as gray.”(7) This obviously gives the readers a vivid picture of the environment. The author does this intentionally to bring more depth and emotion to the characters point of view. It feels like we are in the characters’ position and seeing everything they’re seeing. The gray is a metaphor for the lack thereof. There is a lack of happiness, light and joy. Think about it, gray is not white but not yet black. Sometimes things are not black and white sometimes they are gray. The gray symbolizes the struggle of not knowing. The mixer of both is represented in the book because you are the boy who is somehow compassionate and hopeful while the dad is determined yet doubtful. Love is what they have at the end of the day. Though gray is not the most joyish of colors, gray represents struggle.

 Death shows up a lot throughout this book but it shows up vividly when he has a dream about his wife. She states “I’ve taken a new lover. He can give me what you cannot.”(57) This section is powerful but it shows the power of death. I cannot help but notice that she is talking about death as if it's a person. She feels like death was her only option due to the conditions. Death represents safety and reassurance, something that the man never gave her. It is odd that she says death is her lover, meaning that she fell in love with dying. Most people view death in different ways, some view it as peaceful, maybe terrifying, some maybe even view it as an escape. An escape from this life hoping that what on the other side is greater. In every other story death is the bad guy but it seems as though in this story death is a sense of relief. The way they talk about death in this novel seems so casual and they rather take their own lives then have someone else ruin their peace. I believe this is what she meant. She saw no hope looking at the outcomes of the world, she saw best to put all her hope in death.