Amir - Lit Log #1 // The Road

My map of the road is meant to serve as a metaphor for the boy and man’s journey. One of the metaphors I specifically wanted to include in my map is fire. This idea of fire in The Road is meant to be a symbol of life and hope. The father while talking to the boy also mentioned this idea of carrying the fire. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we Papa? Yes. We are. And nothing bad is going to happen to us. That’s right. Because we’re carrying the fire. Yes. Because we’re carrying the fire.”(83) Although the fire does represent hope, it also represents the destruction of life as everything is burning around them. But even then you still have to carry that burden and that’s what the father is holding onto because once that fire goes out so does he. There is also this coca cola that they find at the beginning of the book which I see as a clear symbol of happiness. In a dark world, there’s still somehow this bright red can of joy that was thought to be no more. The coca-cola serves as a light to the man and the boy so they can continue “carrying the fire”. Also connected to the boy and the man is the gun. The gun serves as a way out of this dark world in a time when there is no light. In a world so cruel how can one fight to stay alive? Why not just pull the trigger just like the mom did to stop the pain and suffering? But now with one bullet left still the gun looms as a possibility for self-defense or a silent death. Now as for the shopping cart I feel as though it had to be included in the map. When we think about shopping carts we normally just think of them as something pretty insignificant. But for the boy and the man it is an integral part of their journey. All of their cherished items and belongings are in that shopping cart and serve as their life. Wherever they go they carry that shopping cart because of what it holds. Finally, on the map, there is the road. In my map, the road is the centerpiece of the boy and man’s journey. The road is supposed to represent the possibility of hope as they are trying to reach the coast. However, the road also has its dangers because everyone can use the road. Under the road, you can see the good guys and bad guys. Now for the good guys, I choose an image of the Chucky doll because is anybody the good guys? In my opinion, I feel as though no one can be good in a world without light. Then lastly there are the bad guys which represent the cannibals and obstacles they meet on the road. And that is my map of the road.