What does each interaction with other people tell us about the main characters or the world?

1 Mom Leaves

In chronological order of the book, the first interaction they had with another person was when the woman left. Her family was not enough for her to want to survive in this hellish world. The man pleaded with her to stay but it wasn’t enough. “Death is not a lover. Oh yes he is”. (pg. 57) This must have been a long time coming because when the boy woke up he knew, “she’s gone isn’t she”. I think this experience, aside from the whole apocalypse thing, has a lot to do with why the man is as cold as he is. This scene lets us know on an emotional level how truly terrible the state of the world is, leaving our two main characters to embark on their journey south.

2 Lightning-Stricken Man

When they come across a man who has been struck by lightning, the boy is compassionate and wants to help him, which is a theme that will continue to show throughout the entire book. This also goes to show just how fortunate they are that the man is able bodied and not old, as well as the fact that neither of them are alone. We can only imagine what it is like to be in this post-apocalyptic world, being in it alone seems much more impossible.

3 Roadrat

When they notice a truck coming up the road, fear strikes the heart of the man and boy and we are first introduced to the “bad guys”. When the man approaches the truck driver (roadrat), he gets into a verbal and physical altercation that results in the man killing the roadrat. The boy’s compassion reaches new levels when he expresses that he is upset with the man for killing the roadrat, even though there was a point where the roadrat grabbed the boy and put a knife to his throat. This interaction lets us know that there are still motor vehicles being operated, and there is some bigger group of “bad guys”. “Yeah. We got ammunition” (pg. 64)

4 Basement Food

They find a big house on the side of the road and enter in search of some food or supplies that could be useful, but what they find shocks them. They found a bunch of naked people, some with torn off limbs. This shows us how evil these “bad guys” are and what they would do to survive. They have been, and will continue to round survivors up and eat them, which is why the man was hiding when they came across the truck.

5 Ely

They find an old, somewhat blind, frail man who calls himself Ely. This is the first time the boy was able to convince the man to help someone. We also see glimpses of the boy maturing with him knowing that he won’t be able to take the man with them. I believe McCarthy added this interaction to add in a more philosophical aspect to provide meaning to what it is to survive on the road. He also further establishes the religious aspect of the story, for further though.

6 3 Men & Pregnant Woman

When the man thinks they are being followed, there is a shift in how the boy responds. The man is no longer just giving out orders, instead they both understand the situation and come up with a plan together as the boy knows the people may be after their food and anyone would be willing to take their lives for it. This shows a growth in the boy’s understanding of the gravity of the apocalypse.

7 Thief

When someone steals their cart, the man is livid. When they find the thief, the man takes everything from him. The boy wants to go back and help him which shows an incredible amount of compassion seeing as though that thief was ready to leave them for dead.

8 End (Good Guys)

In the end, the man is dead, and the boy finally finds more “good guys” which gives us a little hope for the boy’s future.