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The boy says a prayer...sort of...what is significant about the prayer? What does it tell you about the boy and the man?
Great image: "The only light was from the ring of blue teeth in the burner of the stove."
They only stay in the bunker a couple of days. If no one has found it so far, what makes them think it's dangerous to stay longer?
"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." What do you think of this logic?
McCarthy does a masterful job of writing the dialogue -- he captures a young boy's curiosity and imagination quite vividly and accurately. The conversation about crows is priceless. How does it help characterize the two characters?
"What are our long term goals?" Why doesn't the man answer this question?
Why do you think the boy is so much more willing to help others? He knows the consequences they could face, yet he still wants to help -- why?
What's significant about the old man's name (allusion)?
42 comments:
I think the problem with the bunker is that you really can't know when someone is going to find it. For all that the main characters know, someone found it earlier and then deserted it in fear that other people were going to find it. If they stayed in the bunker any longer, and people did find it, then the boy and man run the risk of encountering savage groups or danger. I think that if they were in the bunker and other people found it, they would be killed and the entire bunker would be plundered. In this post-apocalyptic time, it seems to be survival of the fittest and every man for himself, then it is very likely that if two groups of people found this source of food and shelter, arguements and violence would break out over it. The only way for the man to ensure the safety of himself and the boy, is to leave the bunker before other groups come across it.
I personally think the bunker was maybe a trap just like the other house had people in it. Maybe they figured from that image of all of the people in the basement in the place they had gone before that that may happen to them if they stay any longer and someone comes back. Then they will find the food was there maybe to just lure them in.
It's a good logic because sometimes the most unexpected things happen at moments and if you're not expecting it, it will surprise you. However, if you do expect it you won't be surprised when it comes and you may even be prepared for it. It's like saying "expect the worst and hope for the best". Yeah, nobody hopes that trouble will come, but it will eventually so it's better to prepare for it to come than to think & hope it won't come at all.
The boy seems to have a really big imagination. This just shows that they can relate to each other in some way and the boy asks questions that even sound somewhat intelligent...
The man doesn't answer the question about long-term goals because it seems to me that he doesn't even know if he will make it "long term". The idea to him is that maybe they will die soon so he doesn't want to set up goals in the boy's head that they may never reach. It will just discourage the boy like many other things have and I'm not so sure the man wants to put himself in that position.
The boy is just very caring and seems to put himself in others' shoes constantly. He always wants to help people, thinking that if he were in that situation he would want someone to be nice and help him, give him food, etc.
The man's name is "Ely", it sounds like the word "lie"... maybe he was fabricating everything he said, that's what it seemed like to me.
The prayer from the boy was more of a thank you to the people who left the food there. The boy felt more of a need to thank the people than the father did but the boy claimed he didnt know how. The father however insisted that the boy could do it just fine. What i found significant about his thank you was the way he pointed out he wouldn't eat it even if the people were there. The boy has been like this throughout the whole story. He wants to help people and cares for people more than himself but the father looks at it from a different perspective. The father is more than less trying to worry about them two rather than think about other people. I think this is how the story is portrayed because its showing that the father believes and knows how the real world is but the boy is still learning.
I think the logic of always being prepared is very handy, especially for the life the characters are leading. They literally don't know when terror could strike and the safest thing to do is be on guard at all times.
About the long-term goals: the man doesn't answer the boy (also, am I the only one who wants to know their names? It might give some type of clue as to what time period the book is set in) because they really don't have long-term goals. Their only goal is to stay alive, which in their case is pretty much a short-term (day-to-day) goal.
Maybe the boy is willing to help others because he is young enough to have some innocence in his body and a pure heart... he isn't wrecked with the reality of the world yet. (Maybe) because is life is difficult (there really is no arguing that), he sees others suffering and feels a responsibility to help them. AKA the Golden Rule.
The boy wants to help others because he is a child. While he may know the consequences his priorities are much different than those of an adult. He still thinks in the same way as any innocent child, despite what he has been though. Children hate seeing someone in pain, and always want to help those who need it. That is apparent in almost every society, including the one in the novel. The boy feels guilty for not helping other people, and that guilt out weighs the consequences in the boy’s mind.
The man and the boy probably only stay in the bunker for a couple of days because the man thinks it is the safe thing to do. Before finding the bunker, they find many nice things that are seemingly out of place. For example, the kept up house they went in with the hopes of finding food only to encounter cannibalism. The man was probably worried the bunker could have been a trap just like the house was. Even if the bunker was not a trap, in a world were everyone is in it for themselves the man and his son would most likely have encountered another human eventually. The man probably felt it was best to keep moving rather than risk encountering another human or realizing the bunker is a trap.
“If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it.” I think I partly agree with this statement. In some ways, it is good to be careful and always expect trouble. Being careful allows you to stay safe from many dangers that are in this world. However, it is not good to be so careful in life because you can miss out on many things. In the book, the man seems to always expect trouble and is prepared. He keeps his gun handy and many other supplies if needed. On the other hand, the man also dismisses the thought of trouble in some circumstances. When desperate for food, he will do anything for his son and himself including going into unsafe places.
I think the boy is so much more willing to help the others because he is in their position. He realizes what they go through and does not want to put them in the same situation that he has to go through. Throughout the novel, the boy is comparing themselves as the “good guys” to the “bad guys” or the cannibals. I think the boy would feel like the “bad guys” if he does not help the people in need. Feeling that way would make the boy feel inhumane and helpless, and I think he does not want to feel that way.
When the boy asks "What are our long term goals?" the man doesn't answer him because they don't have any. It's not like the man didn't want them, or that he didn't have ambitions. The man just knew that the life they were leading wasn't one where they could expect much change in the future most of the time the man knew they would be going without food, water, or even shelter. Plus, it seemed like the man was living in the day because he knew he wasn't going to have much of a future. It was like he was living just to keep the boy company and keep him out of danger then for himself.
The old man, named Ely, is an allusion to the prophet Elijah. In the Bible, Elijah prophesizes the coming of the savior, which could be the boy when he helps everyone that he can, but Ely denies that the boy could be god. In Ely's conversation with the man he personifies death. I love the line: "When we're all gone at last then there'll be nobody here but death and his days will be numbered too. He'll be out in the road there with nothing to do and nobody to do it to. He'll say: Where did everybody go? And that's how it will be”. If he is a prophet, he is a prophet of death, not of some good on the other side of it. He describes death as a person, a figure who will meet his own demise when his work on earth is complete. If he is a prophet of death it’s to destroy the last hope the boy and the man have.
The man is dumbfounded when the boy asks him what their “long term goals" are. His first thought is where the boy heard a phrase like that since the boy has little exposure to language other than his father’s. His second thought is that he is just as clueless as the boy. He has no idea what the future will hold because he cannot imagine a future in such destruction. He just keeps moving forward, hoping for something.
I think always expecting trouble could be good or bad. It could be good in that one is always prepared and has heightened senses to be aware of any threat or danger. At the same time, I think that living like there's always going to be trouble would make for a less joyous life. If you're always expecting something bad, how could you possibly experience and enjoy something good?
I was upset that the man and the boy only stayed in the bunker for a couple of days. They left behind a vast supply of food, comfort, and shelter because the man feared that they would be found. I guess that the man thought that they were in danger because the bunker was now exposed. All of the groups traveling the road, good or bad, went through the houses and buildings on the sides of the road. The bunker had gone undiscovered for so long because it was buried in the backyard. They had found it by chance. The man knew that the next passers who decided to look through the house would clearly see the door to the bunker in the backyard. If they were in it, the man knew, they would be killed for their collection of food and supplies.
"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." What do you think of this logic?
The logic makes sense, but it's hard to expect something you don't expect. One can't expect everything. There's always going to be some possibility that one does not expect to happen. Even if you expect aliens to land on Earth at any moment or a black hole to appear next to the Solar System out of nowhere or even candy to fall from the sky with no logical explanation, it's not enough. There are limitless possibilities out there, and so it is virutally impossible to expect everything. Perhaps I am taking this too literally, but I stand by my point nonetheless. The logic of this statement is perfectly fine, but the possibility is not.
Why do you think the boy is so much more willing to help others? He knows the consequences they could face, yet he still wants to help -- why?
Children and even young teens are often more willing to help others than older people are. Perhaps it is because of their naivety. They don't see the possible danger, only the one in need of help. But as stated above, the boy knows the consequences they could face. So, in this case, perhaps it is because he has not yet become selfish. Children are pure, uncorrupted. (For the most part, anyways. Unfortunately, this is becoming less true in the modern age.) They still see the world through new, earnest eyes. They still carry the purest of intentions in their hearts. Or perhaps it is simply in the boy's nature to help anyone in need. Some people can't stand to see suffering and do nothing about it. These are often the type of people we see in comic books and cartoons as the great superhero. To me, it seems that the boy's willingness to help others is in his nature - a part of who he is. He wants to help others, regardless of the consequences.
I think the logic behind the idea that you should always expect trouble is actually a good way to think considering their situation. if they always expect trouble, it would make them more alert and less likely to get into trouble.
I think the boy is so much more willing to help others because even though he has been through so much, he is still a child at heart, and has some of the innocence a child has. The son has grown up faster than he should have, but he still maintains some of his child-like qualities.
The prayer could represent something very significant. With the boy praying, it shows that not only do the boy and father live by some kind of moral code - which it is evident that they do - but also shows that they are god-fearing and believe in a future beyond the present. With the idea of God looking over them, it would give them purpose and reason to want to continue onward. In short, it gives them hope that God would allow them to live. This is significant because in a godless land, faith is the only thing that may be guiding them in a different path from the others.
I think that the logic behind the statement to always expect trouble is very relevant. If they always plan for the worse possible outcome, anything less will be a reward. It's a good way of looking at the future and to keep hope.
I believe the boy is so much more willing to help others because he is still naive and young. He doesn't know the faults of the world yet. Young children often want to please people and make others happy. I believe that he has grown up faster than he should have, but his innocence and and some child like qualities still remain in tact.
The man doesn't answer the question about the long term goals because there is a good chance that both of them won't even live that long. They will eventually run out of food and the things they need for surviving.
"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." I think if you always expect trouble to come a person would start to miss out on things. They would be living under a rock scared. But in this story of the man and the young boy, expecting trouble may be one of the reasons for them surviving.
It is dangerous for them to stay in the bunker because there is still a chance someone else could find it or it could be another trap. It goes along with the quote "If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." They are both expecting trouble so they decide not to stay.
The man ignores the question about long term goals because he doesn't have any. He was certain they were going to die a few days earlier and now that they haven't, he has to re-think everything so his only goal is to stay alive.
They boy's prayer is more of a thank you than a prayer. He is thankful for the people who left the food. He knows that the food and shelter was not necessarily intened for him and his father and he is reluctant to eat and use it at first. But his father convises him that the people would have wanted them to eat it. The boy is very caring of others. He always puts himself last and is always looking to help even if he has to sacrifice things of his own. I think that his father envys that in his son, but knows that to survive he cannot be that way.
The logic of "if trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it" is to try and outsmart what may come your way. Although we may be prepared for something to happen, trouble will always put us in peril whether we are ready for it or not. If we are ready for it the damage may just not be as deep. In the novel no mater how prepared they could of been for utter destruction, they would still be stuggling with the matters they have at hand. However, if you are always expecting the worse out of situations then the effects it has on you changes, however small that may be. The logic seems great in theory, however, you can not always be prepared for the worst because it would be too hard to always be on your toes. Just because your prepared for a hurricane doesn't mean you can limit the damage it does. The same logic applies when I think of this saying.
The boy is more willing to help others out because he is still young and pure. He knows the consequences that they could face but he wants to be the "good guy" and also believe that there are more good guys out there too.
The man doesnt answer the question to the long term goals because they're not in the situation to be able to think about it. They're merely getting by each day and the term "long term" is just a fascination to him.
Why do you think the boy is so much more willing to help others? He knows the consequences they could face, yet he still wants to help -- why?
I think the boy wants to help others because he considers himself as one of the “good guys”. He wants to do whatever he can to save people, no matter the consequences. The boy is still young and feels sorry for every person or animal that he comes across.
"What are our long term goals?" Why doesn't the man answer this question?
The man doesn’t answer the boy’s question because he has no long-term goals. The man has many short-term goals such as finding food, shelter, taking care of his son, and living another day. I think the man can’t see himself being around long enough to make a long-term goal.
I find it very significant that the man doesn't answer the question about his long term goals. I feel like this is because he doesn't have any. He is too concerned about survival and the events occurring in the present to worry about what he will do in the future. His life at the moment is simply a series of short term goals.
"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." I agree with this statement. If the man is always on his guard then it would be much easier for him to stay out of trouble...
I think the logic of always expecting trouble is not good logic. If you think that way, then you will always be thinking about the "what if.." instead of just doing it. You only live once, so just live in the moment and don't fret about what could happen.
Then again, maybe I am interpreting that wrong. Maybe that is supposed to mean that you should always be on your toes for bad things to happen, and never let your guard down. Once you let your guard down, then you are vulnerable for danger.
The man doesn't answer the long term goal question, because he doesn't think that he and the boy will last very long. He doesn't want to focus on the future. Their situation doesn't really plan for the future. They have to live moment by moment in order to survive.
I think the boy is so willing to help others even though he knows the consequences because he feels that they are not the only people in the world going through what they are going through. He is filled with guilt when they see “good guys” and don’t help. Everyone is trying to survive and I think when they find food in someone’s house that has died, the boy feels like that dead person(s) is helping them. The boy then feels like he needs to help others when he and his father have been helped.
"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." I agree with this because then, if you come across it, you're ready for it. You will be mentally prepared for it and you may be able to handle it better, instead of being blindsided by it.
The boy is always willing to help others because when he finds food, he thinks the dead person who left it in a way is helping him. Also, he likes to think of himself of a 'good guy' and in his eyes, the good guys help each other.
The man does not tell the boy what his long term goals are because he doesn't have any. There is no way to know what lies ahead of them. He only has hope that they will stumble upon something better. It shows how desperate the world has become. Desperate and bleak. The man does not want to give discouragement to the boy, however. Therefore, he does not answer the boy about long term goals.
The theory of always expecting danger is useful in the world the man and boy live in. Around every corner, over every hill, danger is possible and even probable. It is smart to always be prepared for the worse.
I suppose that if you always expect trouble, then when it happens you will be ready for it, and therefore it couldn't necessarily be considered trouble. It's interesting logic.
I believe the man doesn't answer the question about their longterm goals because he knows that they will not last long enough to have to plan something that far into the future. It's a depressing thought, so he doesn't tell the boy this.
I feel the reason that the man expected danger is that he uncovered the hatch and had no way of covering it up other than with the mattress. If anyone with half a brain happened to walk by that stretch of land they could easily see the hatch sticking straight up and know exactly what it was. I think he also disliked the idea of staying still for more than a day. For as long as they can remember they have been constantly on the move.
The man does not answer the boy's question about what his long term goals are because it is impossible to tell what is ahead. There is a very good chance that they will both die because the situation is so horrible - i feel like the man has completely lost hope.
I agree with the theory about danger. Yes, it is a more pessimistic way of thinking... but in this story especially danger is everywhere. It is impossible to escape. It seems smart to me that they would expect trouble all of the time.
The boy is so much more willing to help others because I believe he has an innocent and caring nature about him and helping others just comes naturally to him. He always wants to help someone in need no matter the danger or the expense, even if he only has one can of food left. The boy, through the whole novel, comes off as the shining light in a world so gray and full of ash. The boy’s father even says on his death bead that he sees a light that surrounds the boy. The boy has a genuinely caring personality and I think that’s why he still wants to help even though he knows the horrible consequences of helping the wrong person or running out of food.
I agree with what some of the others said about why the boy is more willing to help than the man. The boy still has his childlike innocence and therefore has an undying hope that there are other good guys out there to which they should help and be helped. Whereas the man is more focused on the survival of his son, the son is more focused on the survival of his father and all the other helpless people they meet. What is so remarkable about young children is how they believe. This young boy, despite all the horrors he’s seen, still believes in heaven and God and hopes all the dead good guys are with Him.
Always expecting trouble is a sour way to live and leads to a life in fear. Many people through history have lived this way Stalin, Nixon. These men lived trying expect trouble and caused more than what they would have otherwise. Trouble is always looking people in the face the only thing a person can do is smile back.
After all the man and the boy went though, I think it was logical how they reasoned that staying in the bunker for more than a couple of days would be dangerous. Once something is found, it is easier to be found a second time. Although I have to say that moving furniture out and around was a pretty smart idea, I think that would just make people after them curious and so take a look around. Also, I think they have to keep in mind that people maybe traveling behind them and so the longer they stay in one place, the shorter the distance is between them.
The reason the man and the boy left the bunker after a short stay is obvious. If the wrong people stumbled upon the bunker and the duo, there could be a struggle. The man definitely knew this and didn't want that.
I think the "always expect trouble" mentality is the best way to be in a post apocalyptic society. That way nothing can get the best of you when your back is turned. However, it could also make a man very weary and maybe even a bit crazy. In the long run, being on your toes 24/7 would really drive somebody over the edge.
The man once said, “If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it.” Personally, I think this logic would be very tiring. A person can’t be on the lookout out forever because people make mistakes. The man also said, “I suppose you have to be scared enough to be on the lookout in the first place.” But it is also just as exhausting to be scared all the time, also. I don’t think a person could last very long with this logic - they need some form of respite and in the end it may come in the form of death.
The man and boy have to always be on the look out. "If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." To always be looking for danger, in every possible form, in every direction, how do you look out for the positives in a situation. Can their lives outlive their sanity? The man underestimates the mind of his boy, the boy understands their situation, he understands death, but both of them need a moments break from "expecting trouble" in order to talk and care for each other.
well, just because no one's found it so far doesn't mean they won't ever find it. and who knows how far the next place with food is from the bunker, if they stay and eat more food, that's less distance they can go before they have to find food again.
the logic of always expecting in trouble seems like a lot of work, but in this post-apocalyptic scenario it seems necessary. i wouldn't follow this logic in my life, because some trouble is necessary, and it doesn't seem to be a lot of fun. but when a little bit of trouble can be the difference between life and death, it might not be fun logic to follow, but it can be argued that it's better to be alive and not having fun than dead.
the man doesn't answer the question about the long term goals because besides staying alive, he doesn't really have any. they want to reach the coast, but they know there's not gonna be anything there. and any long term goal he lists the kid is definitely going to hold him to, so he doesn't want the kid to be disappointed.
i would argue that the boy does not know the consequences they could face, maybe he knows of them, but doesn't think they'll actually happen.
It is not a good idea for them to stay in the bunker because there is still a chance someone else could find it or it could be another trap. It goes along with the quote "If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is always expect it." I agree when Zoe said this. They are both expecting trouble so they decide not to stay. Especially the boy will not stay, whenever something seems uneasy he doesn't want anything to do with it.
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