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My map focuses on the symbol of the road.The symbol that I think the road is giving is a Post-Apocalyptic vibe.I think McCarthy’s intent in making this symbol is to show the reader how much life has changed and how hard it has gotten after the apocalypse.Everything the man and the boy did was based on survival.The road is like a never ending road to problems such as shelter,food,and regular life as they knew it.On page 158 it states “They sat for a long time.They sat on their folded blankets and watched the road in both directions.No wind.Nothing.After a while the boy said there’s not any crows are there?”McCarthy is showing what life has came to.On page 159 it states”Sketched upon the pall of soot downstream the outline of a burnt city like a black paper scrim”.This shows that something drastic has happened that changed the whole planet around.The man and the boy wish that they can have a peaceful life.They are the only ones who didn’t turn to cannibalism even though they see it all around them.It must have been very hard to not turn into a cannibal when you are very hungry and can’t really find any food.I also think McCarthy’s purpose of this post-apocalyptic symbol of the road is to prove that if you stay strong and stick together then you will survive and to not give up. I brought this map together by putting together quotes in order that tie into the road being a post-apocalyptic symbol.I used Canva and I added images that matched the quotes of the book that I chose.

Due to the School District of Philadelphia 2-hour delay because of weather, SLA will follow the below schedule on Wednesday, 1/17:

10:15-10:50 D2 Band

10:55-11:30 E2 Band

11:35-12:05 A1 Band

12:10-12:50 B1 Band

12:50-01:20 Lunch

01:30-03:00 Wednesday Programming

My art piece depicts my interpretation of the first pool scene when Bromden watches and listens to McMurphy talk to the lifeguard. In this scene, McMurphy is talking to the lifeguard, another patient of the hospital. He explains how the commitment works at the hospital, saying how the patients are here for however long the nurses say they should stay. McMurphy starts to realize he has made a mistake. Instead of being stuck working on the farm for a few months, he could be at the hospital for years. He starts to reflect on what he has done and what his next steps are. First, the colors I used are muted and a bit dreary. This is to show the overall life at the hospital, boring, often monotonous and depressing. Diving deeper, the words outside and inside are used throughout the book in many ways, but one notable usage of the words is to highlight the loneliness and isolation the patients of the ward experience. I decided to put McMurphy as the sole person in the artwork to represent that loneliness and separation that he starts to feel after the excitement of not working on the farm wears off. I added ripples in the water that also show him being completely alone. Another big theme of this book revolves around power struggles. The staff of the hospital, most notably Nurse Ratched, and McMurphy constantly have a back and forth for power over the ward and its patients. In this scene, after the lifeguard tells him about commitment, he realizes how little power he has in the grand scheme of things. I decided to make him relatively small compared to the rest of the picture, especially the pool which appears to go on forever. His size compared to everything that is around him represents that lack of power he feels after realizing that he could be in the ward for the rest of his life if the nurses wanted it to be so. McMurphy is drawn using a pen and many non-uniform squiggly lines. I wanted this to show both the chaos his personality brings to the ward, and, again, the lack of control he feels at this moment. From the bottom of the pool, black swirls and shadows come up towards McMurphy. These represent the regrets that start to form in McMurphy’s mind during this scene. They come up from the bottom of the pool to show how these regrets were once far away but are slowly creeping up to him. McMurphy stares out of the window. The window shows an image of what outside of the hospital might look like, but it also serves as a window into McMurphy’s thinking and headspace. Outside, the countryside is visible as well as a farm with rows of crops. The hills go on forever and represent freedom of the outside world. A farm is also visible, but is very far away. This is to highlight how far away that idea is now, he cannot turn back as he is trapped in the ward. Lastly, Bromden mentions the fog many times throughout the book. It represents the actual brain fog many patients of the ward experience, safety, numbness, as well as the general power that the staff have over the ward. Being in the fog is being obedient and docile. In my art, fog is rolling in from the window. McMurphy watching his freedom behind a glass pane reminds him that if he does what the staff wants he has a higher chance of being able to leave, and thus, the fog rolls in. This itself starts to change his actions as following this scene he starts doing everything the nurses want, showing that he truly does get lost in fog.

In the first episode of “Turning Pages”, our hosts Amber, Hawa & Faith came together to talk about the themes and symbolic elements in the first 100 pages of the novel ” Americanah” by Nigerian Author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vwIQ2zq27xvOCZJ8msWCn6QdGIXdw_6y/view?usp=sharing

LATE GROUP

This podcast includes Anouk, Milani, Gabby, Jazz, and Indi.

The Brief Recap of Oscar Wow is a podcast focused on the book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, which is about an overweight Domincan boy growing up in New Jersey with a large love for science fiction and fantasy novels and with falling in love. In this first episode, Milani opens up the conversation to a debate about who we believe could be narrating the book, to which Anouk follows up with the conversation of the order of perspective in the first two readings we have done. The theme of literal and figurative writing looms over our conversation as we try to make sense of the beginning of our book.

https://www.wevideo.com/view/3286981436

Purple Hues Podcast dives deep into the Literal and Figurative devices that appear in the book “The Color Purple” By Alice Walker. A book about a character named Celie and the events of her life, navigating how to discover the things she desires.

In this first episode, the hosts of Purple Hues share their hottest take along with their first impressions of the book. Analyzing key parts to build up bigger ideas later in the story.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qe9kLsRMckDofdgvWxu1ajgNKKaHivow/view?usp=sharing

In this episode of the Paradise Podcast, we go over certain ideals about the different characters and the fact that one of the main characters can be seen as munilipative and/or pushy about wanting everything done their way. There is some arguing back and forth, so grab your popcorn and enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-3epOwMsnr8Oak5Dg77E-VdDBYgbG6Zg/view?usp=sharing

Speakers: Medina Baram, Cana Berkey-Gerard, Bella Olsen, Diana Yang, and Gina Zou

Podcast #1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uoQ_vr0WucNo0e0tAq04RZ3ZZNvybok5/view?usp=sharing

Speakers: Ana Blumberg, Lia Dunkin, Josie Silver, Adrie Young, and Tina Zou.

In the new podcast 1984+, hosts Tina Zou, Adrie Young, Ana Blumberg, Lia Dunakin, and Josie Silver will explore the contents of the classic dystopian novel by George Orwell. Episode one dives into the first seventy pages of the book, and discusses the literal and figurative aspects of the book thus far.

LISTEN HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1weq1Hdr04TA0dW2SdIxY18AmNuovxJnb/view?usp=drive_link

In the first episode of our podcast “Reading Between the Lines” we will explore the characters, themes, symbols, and storylines emerging in the first few chapters of Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing,” focusing on the two families followed by this book, connected by their common matriarch Maame.

https://www.wevideo.com/view/3286382298

Talkaholic’s Pod #1

Speakers: Langston Payne, I’Jhanae Chase

Pod #1:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pSYdcpYhi4w8HGf003_-kOi3ClUGo5CO/view?usp=drive_link

Going Home Podcast

Speakers: Na’im Faulkner, Khairi Roberts, James Murray

Pod #1:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qcpp0rkclyEMclhfKbJzdXC5RGNKIOdr/view

In this episode, we review the literal and figurative themes and ideas of The White Tiger, a novel by Aravind Adiga. We delve into figurative themes, including but not limited to religion and liberation, and more literal ideas—such as the formatting of the book and Balram’s characterization. The first two chapters were covered in this episode.

Google Drive Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b2NE12QEjufCviFhSryE3EvQ_EM4dq6Y/view?usp=sharing

In this episode of “Dear God”, our hosts Caleb, Gabi, Miracole, Fatima, and Grace sat down to discuss “The Color Purple”. The main protagonist Celie and her tumultuous life and relationships are at the center of the conversation. The hosts conversed about literary elements, dynamic characters, and complex relationships.

I choose to track odd, out-of-place imagery throughout The Road. I noticed a few of these scenes while reading, but found many more while searching for similar scenes. The ones I noticed first were when the boy plays his flute on the road (77), and when they eat dinner with fine china in a once-glamorous house (209). These were most obvious because the strangeness of the scene is often pointed out by one of the characters themselves. In the dinner scene, McCarthy writes, “They ate slowly out of bone china bowls, sitting at opposite sides of the table with a single candle burning between them. The pistol lying to hand like another dining implement.” (209) The reference to the pistol highlights the strangeness and contradiction of their situation. They’re dirty, starving, and don’t have an end goal. They’re running from cannibals, narrowly escaping death every day, and they’ve seen horrors that will haunt them forever. And yet they’re sitting on opposite ends of this table, illuminated by candlelight, and eating canned food out of ornate bowls like they’re at a fancy Victorian dinner. One way to interpret this vivid contradiction is an attempt at dark humor by McCarthy, a sort of twisted satirical commentary of their situation and the world they’re living in. In such a serious, desperate book, he reminds us of the ridiculousness and perhaps even futility of their journey to find something better in this barren, abandoned world.

However, a search for similar scenes in the book starts to reveal additional themes and intents. In my artwork, I highlighted seven other scenes like these: when they play checkers in the bunker (148), when the wheel on the cart begins to squeak, despite their efforts to fix it (186), when the boy asks what their “long-term goals” are (160), when the boy plays in the abandoned train (180), when they spot a plastic deer in the yard of an abandoned house (185), when they come across a corpse in overalls, sitting on a porch like “a straw man set out to announce some holiday” (199), and lastly when they see themselves in a mirror and don’t recognize themselves (132). Each of these scenes is incredibly strange and awkward, highlighting the bizarre remnants of the world before. However, these are also small moments of humanity - the little boy playing with his father, the humor of a squeaking wheel in an apocalyptic landscape, and the grief and horror of finding human artifacts and remains in unexpected places. These moments make up an odd, and seemingly random collection of slivers of light and humanity in a gray and desolate world. McCarthy seems to be reminding us that humanity will remain, even in the most horrific and desperate of times. It may show up in odd and uncomfortable ways, but it will remain.

In this episode of Newspeak, we talk on how much we have read int the book. We delve into the initial chapters, world building. Wait till the end of this episode, where we talk about our hot takes.

Welcome all Here Herers! This podcast is one of many deep dives into the lives of the natives in the book “There There”, by Tommy Orange. In this episode, Jackson, Gabe, Henry, Anthony, and Leo Braveman go into our thoughts on the plot of the story, because no, it’s not yet obvious. We also pick apart the first 100 pages, looking for quotes, symbolism, and connections to other books that we may have read in the past. Some of these connections, you would never see coming. They are truly groundbreaking and mind blowing to the average human. The input from Anthony at the end will leave you with chills…So don’t miss it! And of course, come back next time.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A9h-w05oHc7RBCP5zhepc6-5gmrxjXzX/view?usp=sharing

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves into the dynamics of power, control, and rebellion within the confines of a mental institution. The book’s portrayal of the ward as a highly controlled, authoritarian environment, juxtaposed with the character of Randle McMurphy’s efforts to challenge this oppressive system, provides a compelling lens through which to re-examine one’s relationship with authority figures and the mandatory structures in life.

The ward in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest shows a small society wrapped in a totalitarian regime. Nurse Ratched, the head nurse, symbolizes this regime, exerting her authority through strict rules, manipulation, and psychological control over the patients. As Kesey describes, this environment is one where individuality is suppressed, and conformity is enforced. The novel vividly portrays the dehumanizing effects of such a system, where patients are stripped of their autonomy and identity. This is evident in passages like, “She’s like a watchful robot, she sees everything, and she filters all of it through her machinery and beams it out in a revised version.” This quote highlights how Nurse Ratched’s control extends beyond physical constraints to psychological manipulation, shaping the perceptions and realities of the patients.

Contrasting this regime is Randle McMurphy, who embodies resistance and individualism. McMurphy’s arrival at the ward sparks a transformation. He challenges the established norms, questions authority, and encourages the patients to reclaim their sense of self. His rebellious acts, from organizing a fishing trip to standing up to Nurse Ratched’s rules, symbolize a fight for personal freedom and dignity. McMurphy’s actions resonate with me as they remind me of the importance of questioning and challenging the structures and norms that often go unchallenged in our lives.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I realize that there are numerous instances where I have conformed to rules or structures without questioning their purpose or fairness. For example, school policies and traditions are followed with little thought. McMurphy’s character inspires a reevaluation of these norms. It’s not about rebelling for the sake of rebellion but about understanding the reason behind rules and whether they serve a just and meaningful purpose. McMurphy’s stance is not just against the tyranny of Nurse Ratched but is a broader commentary on the importance of challenging unjust systems and standing up for individual rights.

A pivotal moment in the book that impacted me is when McMurphy arranges a vote to watch the World Series. Despite being initially defeated, he challenges the decision, eventually inspiring other patients to stand up for their desires. In this scene, as Kesey writes, “He had won the bet, but what had he won? He saw fourteen faces still watching the blank TV”. This moment illustrates the power of resistance and the potential for change when individuals unite against an oppressive system.

The psychological impact of the ward’s environment in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is profound. Patients who have been long subjected to a disciplined, oppressive routine find in McMurphy a beacon of hope and a symbol of resistance. His actions are not just rebellious for the sake of defiance; they are acts of liberation for those who have been marginalized and silenced. McMurphy teaches them to laugh, to enjoy simple pleasures, and to reclaim their voices. This aspect of the novel underscores the power of self-expression and the importance of maintaining one’s identity in the face of authoritarianism.

In my life, this translates to being more critical and vocal about the rules and structures around me. Whether it’s questioning school policies that seem unfair or challenging societal norms that suppress individuality, McMurphy’s actions inspire a more active and engaged approach to the world. It’s about finding a balance between respect for authority and the courage to speak up against injustice.

In our society, this narrative remains relevant. We often encounter situations where conformity is valued over individuality, where the pressure to adhere to societal norms or institutional expectations can stifle personal expression and growth. The struggle of the patients in the novel mirrors the challenges faced by many today who find themselves in environments - whether educational, professional, or social - that demand conformity at the expense of personal freedom.

Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest goes out of its setting in a mental ward to comment on the humans’ struggle against oppressive structures. It serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining individuality and the need to sometimes question and challenge the status quo. McMurphy’s legacy in the novel is a testament to the enduring power of a single individual to inspire change and empower others, a lesson that continues to resonate in our lives today.

In Cormac McCarthy’s novel “The Road,” the landscape is a representation of how grey and unforgiving this world is. Everything from the abandoned structures to the beach shows the hopelessness this world has to offer. I cannot paint everywhere but I painted important places that they have been.

Early in their journey, the two explore a city, almost like a skeleton of its former self. Buildings stand hollow and streets are littered with abandoned cars and the ash of what once was. The city, a symbol of human achievement, now lies in ruins, underscoring the extent of the apocalypse. It’s a place where danger is everywhere, forcing the father and son to be exceedingly cautious. Page 24, “The mummied dead everywhere, the flesh cloven along the bones, the ligaments dried to tug and taunt as wires.” This urban wasteland sets the tone for the hopelessness pervading their world, where survival is a constant battle against the remnants of civilization.

Going on to a more rare find on their journey is a hidden bunker filled with supplies. This place is a temporary haven, page 148, “ How long can we stay here papa? Not long. How long is that? I don’t know maybe one more day. Two. Because it’s dangerous? Yes.” The bunker, stocked with food and amenities, offers a brief glimpse of normalcy and safety. However, the Man and boy know they can’t stay because nothing has security in this world.

A particularly horrifying moment occurs when they discover a house where cannibalism takes place. This house, a grotesque perversion of the concept of ‘home’, represents the depths of depravity humanity has sunk to in the face of extinction. It’s a constant reminder of the pervasive threat other humans pose and the brutal measures taken by some to survive. Pg 110, “ Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to his hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. The smell was hideous.”

Throughout their journey, the father and son encounter remnants of what used to be a functioning society—crumbling roads, collapsed bridges, and abandoned vehicles. This decaying infrastructure serves as a metaphor for the collapse of the societal order and the fragility of human constructs.

The beach, their final destination, stands as a contrast to the bleakness they have traveled. Despite its natural beauty, it’s cold, and windy, and offers no salvation. The beach symbolizes the end of their journey and the realization that there is no promised land in this new world. In “The Road,” these places are not just physical locations but are imbued with symbolic meaning. They reflect the hopelessness of a world, where survival is a daily challenge.

Link to document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f_QnsTdMW8usuHuYN-4aAZfAOUneOxKveav-HMuCPwc/edit?usp=sharing

The novel, “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, is a story that highlights a father and son relationship. Throughout the story, we begin to understand why each character is the way they are. When reading “The Road” for the very first time I thought the man was a selfish character who never saw the good in people, but as soon as I re-read the book for the second time, I realized that the man isn’t selfish.

The man cares about his son’s well-being even though he may sound a bit harsh for the most part. Throughout the book the man begins to understand why the mother of their son, said “You won’t survive for yourself” (pg.57), The man’s only reason to live and have hope is because of the boy. And even though this is true Cormac Mccarthy highlights that the man won’t be around much longer due to the type of dreams the man has been having. which is why the man tries to prepare the boy throughout the book.

To become mentally and physically ready to take on challenges. Now even though the man wants the best for the boy and is preparing him, he also doesn’t want the boy to grow up so quickly at such a young age, which is why even though honesty is important to conserve, there are times he has to lie to the boy for the sake of the boy maintaining the innocence that is left in him. This highlights that the man cares about the boy but is also harming the boy in a way, due to the position they are currently in.

Even though the man is preparing the boy he is also sharing some core memories with the boy, because the man believes the memories won’t ever come back due to what’s left in society. This core memory was shown by two bottles of Coca-Cola they had found in a supermarket.

I believe McCarthy’s message was how even though as a parent one tries to protect their child, you can’t have them unsee, what is right in front of them. Also don’t always focus on what is going to happen in the future, what matters is to conserve what the now is.

Due to the School District of Philadelphia half day for staff professional development, SLA will follow the below schedule on Friday, 12/15:

08:15-08:55 B2 Band

09:00-09:40 C2 Band

09:45-10:25 X2/Y2 Band class

10:30-11:10 D2 Band

11:15-11:55 E2 Band

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Dismissal

My project focuses on many of the people that the man and boy have encountered on the road. There are many occurrences of the man and boy throughout the drawing. The man is visualized in a purple shirt, used to represent his personal battle between good (blue) and evil (purple), and the boy is wearing yellow as he is hopeful and optimistic, therefore being one of the shining lights left in a dark world. There are four obstacles on this map, in chronological order. The first one classified as “the rat”, is on page 61, where a man kidnaps the boy and the man threatens to shoot him. The rat “dove and grabbed the boy and rolled and came up holding him against his chest with the knife at his throat. The man […] fired from a two-handed position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet. The man fell back instantly and lay with blood bubbling from the hole in his forehead.” The picture shows the man firing at the rat while the rat has a knife in his hands and is in hot pursuit of the boy. The next thing on the timeline is multiple people in “the bunker” that the man and the boy end up stumbling upon on pg. 103, where they find “naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. The smell was hideous. Jesus, he whispered. Then one by one they turned and blinked in the pitiful light. ‘Help us, they whispered. Please help us.’” The picture shows the despair on the face of the people in the bunker, while the man and boy are expressionless in shock. The second to last occurrence is “the thief”, who ends up stealing the man and boy’s cart, and the boy breaks the news to the man on pg. 250, where they follow the tracks of the cart and chase the thief. After they find him, the man tells the thief to “Get away from the cart. He looked at them. He looked at the boy. He was an outcast from one of the communes and the fingers of his right hand had been cut away. He tried to hide it behind him. A sort of fleshy spatula. The cart was piled high. He’d taken everything.” The man holds out his gun and threatens the guy, telling him to give everything to them, even the thief’s own clothes. And then the last one is where the boy encounters his new family after the man dies. “Someone was coming. He started to turn and go back into the woods but he didn’t. He just stood in the road and waited, the pistol in his hand. He’d piled all the blankets on his father and he was cold and he was hungry. The man that hove into view and stood there looking at him was dressed in a gray and yellow ski parka. He carried a shotgun upside down over his shoulder on a braided leather lanyard and he wore a nylon bandolier filled with shells for the gun”

Quarantine left us all trapped in our homes and, seeing as there wasn’t much else to do, I spent a large majority of my time consuming all sorts of music, movies, Youtube videos, and TV shows. They became my escape from reality. Even though I was physically in my room, this media took me anywhere, across the country, across the ocean, or even to a whole other world. Bromden is trapped within the confines of the Ward, but he is able to mentally escape to his childhood memories where he was happy. This seems to be a coping mechanism for him, he often retreats to these memories in moments where he is feeling afraid or is experiencing pain. In the very beginning of the novel, Bromden is hiding in the mop closet to avoid getting his face shaved by the black boys, something he is very afraid of. He describes his fear and then thinks, “I try to think back and remember things about the village and the big Columbia River, think about ah one time Papa and I were hunting birds… like always when I try to place my thoughts in the past and hide there, the fear close at hand seeps in through the memory.” (6) He then goes further into this memory of hunting with his father and their dog, before he is caught. Readers can see how his fear coincides with these memories coming up, how he “hides” within the comfort of them. This becomes a pattern throughout the novel, even when he gets his final electroshock treatment, he once again thinks of his childhood in the village, of the people he was once surrounded with. While reading, I found it difficult to relate myself to this book, but this was a point I was able to connect with my own experiences. Escapism is definitely a bad habit of mine, whether it is procrastinating doing my homework or avoiding processing my emotions. Something I have noticed is I spent a lot of my day trying to evade silence, as silence invites my own thoughts. I find it more comforting to drown them out with a movie or music. Like Bromden, I do not want to feel those deep emotions, like fear or sadness, so it is easier to just escape and avoid them.

Something Bromden learns by the end, and something I am currently working on understanding, is that those deep emotions are a necessary part of life. You have to have hard moments to enjoy the good ones. By the end of the novel, his memories are still where he goes after his final electroshock treatment, but he is also able to break free from what was holding him at the Ward. That is why he can finally escape. He wakes up from the treatment and thinks, “it’s fogging a little, but I won’t slip off and hide in it. No… never again…” (248) He rubs his eyes and clears his head. He gets up, walks to the window and realizes, I “knew this time I had them beat.” (249) This symbolizes the turning point for Bromden, where he realized he couldn’t let fear control his life anymore. He finally forced himself out of the fog, which had been another source of escape for him throughout the book. He realized he didn’t need the fog anymore and he could stand up for himself. This leads to his eventual escape from the Ward, the very thing that was controlling and confining him. Although I have been out of quarantine for over two years, I still find myself using movies and TV shows as a way to avoid my problems. Facing things head on is scary, but it’s exactly what is needed to overcome them. This idea is something I have known for a while, but have been lacking at putting into practice. Bromden’s bravery to escape his fear, the fog, and the Ward as a whole showed me that avoidance only leads to more harm done. It doesn’t mean the problems will simply vanish, it likely means they will grow bigger and more unmanageable.

McCarthy depicts the setting of the road and the different destinations that the man and the boy reach as being hell like. He uses different explanations about hell from the bible to create a realistic setting. One verse that shows this is Mark 9:43, “Hell, where the fire never goes out.” As seen multiple times throughout the book, the setting is constantly filled with smoke, ash, darkness and fire. This fire that is surrounding them is an image of hell and the punishment that God puts on sinners. Another verse that shows the connection between hell and the road is 2 Thessalonians 1:9, “eternal destruction.” The book is filled with examples of their environment being destroyed. Whether it’s when the trees were falling, the ground was trembling, or how death is surrounding them, everything that had been part of their normal life is now wrecked. McCarthy allows the reader to make an assumption that walking on and around the road is similar to how it would be to walk through hell.

The man in the book lacks any type of real faith, despite his occasional “good works” without having a belief behind the action they don’t mean anything. He lies to the boy multiple times as an attempt to console him about their situations. He tells the boy “it’ll be okay,” (pg.25) so many times throughout the novel even though he doesn’t know the truth about the outcome. He wants his son to believe that they can make it out of this even though he himself doesn’t know what to think. He does his best to protect the kid by lying and convincing him that his actions will help them in the long run. When they run into strangers, the man pretends to be compassionate but really is only doing it to provide the boy some satisfaction. After an interaction with an old man, the father says, “You should thank him, you know, the man said. I wouldn’t have given you anything.” (pg. 173) The man knows he wouldn’t go out of his way to help any of the strangers but because of the boy’s compassion he gives them something. The father has good intentions when it comes to his interactions but the way he conveys them is not a point of pride.