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What is so significant about the fact that the group who is following them has a pregnant woman with them?
How traumatic to see the baby cooking over the fire...what do you make of the way the boy handled seeing that?
What is significant about the man finding a Spanish coin and arrowheads at this point in the book? What do these items represent?
Great line: "They wandered through the rooms like skeptical housebuyers."
The man involves the boy in most decisions, such as the decision to eat the home-canned food. Why is it important that the man involves him?
The man thinks, "They are watching for a thing that even death cannot undo and if they do not see it they will turn away from us and they will not come back." Explain your understanding of this quote.
Another great line (though gruesome): "The dull green antique coppers spilled from out the tills of their eyesockets onto the stained and rotted coffin floors."
tokus --> a clue to heritage?
When the boy comes in from his swim, he's crying. Why do you think he's crying?
38 comments:
"Do you think that your fathers are watching? That they weigh you in their ledgerbook? Against what? There is no book and your fathers are dead in the ground."
These small inserts McCarthy writes in are my favourite parts of the book... they offer a bigger picture of what is going on. Sometimes I feel like it is what the man is thinking, other times I think it is just random... they are excellent either way.
When the man offers to let the boy sit in the cart for a while, I think the boy says no because he knows his father is tired and weak. He is very intuitive for his age (which is what, exactly?).
It is important that the man include the boy in most activities because the man realizes that when he dies, the boy will have to fend for himself. He wants to teach the boy how to survive and make decisions for himself more easily.
I think the pregnant woman is significant because she is bringing another life into this horrible world... maybe it's foreshadowing for a better future? In my personal opinion and interpretation (which may be completely wrong) I feel like it shows how love is the ONLY thing that will get someone through such a hard time. Who in their right mind would want to bring a child in a world as cold and dark as this? I think only a couple who has such love would do so. This brings me to a similar point, I think the man and son made it as far as they did, by love. The man's sacrificial love for his son and the son's faith in his father kept each other going. I think in tough times love is what gets you through. I don't necessarily mean romantic love, just true love. Love of a father for a son, mother for a daughter, God for his children.... just love.
The man involves the boy for many reasons. He wants to keep the boy close , and by involving him in everyday decisions he makes the boy feel as though he an equal, not just a follower. Also the man trusts the boy and the boy’s instincts. From what has happened so far, they boy does what is normally right. Also, by keeping the boy involved, the man is preparing him for living on his own. Without the proper preparation the boy would be completely lost if the man died. By including him in decision making, and showing him how to base though decisions, the man is preparing the boy for a life without him. Lastly the man is simply making the boy feel important. If the boy just stood by and watched everything happen his will to live would be much less than what it is when he is actively involved in making even the simplest decisions .
When the boy came in from his swim, he wouldn't tell the father why he was crying. The water was freezing and the father made sure to warn the boy about it. I think that may have been one of the reasons the boy was crying, however, I believe there was more to it. First off, I don't think the boy wanted to tell the father he was crying because he was cold because he knew his father had already told him about the freezing water and the boy didn't want to put anymore worry in the father. I also believe the boy had been crying because of his lousy experience during his swim. I feel as if the boy was expecting more out of it, an experience as if to bring about life in him and make him feel something but he didn't get that satisfaction.
I think that it's very important that the father is taking the time to involve the young boy in every decision that they make. If something were to happen to the older man, the boy would have to make these decisions all on his own. The old man knows what decisions are smart ones to make and will keep them alive, and I think he's trying to prepare the boy for when he's going to have to make these decisions. The old man isn't telling the boy what to do, but is showing him how to come to conclusions and make his own decisions. I think the old man is preparing the boy for when he is dead and no longer around to help him.
It's clear to me that the pregnant woman and the people with her are "bad guys". Earlier in the novel, it was mentioned that when the man and the boy were in the house with all of the people asking for help, the people walking up to the house had 4 men and a couple of women. I think that these are the same people. It is significant that this woman is pregnant because that would just be another person brought into the world that they live in. Corruption. The innocent child would learn the same ways of the nasty people that were bringing it into this world.
The little boy seems to handle things the way he thinks his dad would want him to handle them. He, once again, handles things maturely and pretty much handles things the way he was taught. He knows his dad doesn't want him to see things like that so he just tries to pass it by.
I agree with Erin on what she says about the man involving the son. I also think he wants to make the boy feel important and that he has a say in things rather than the man just dictating everything. The boy already feels like the dad does stuff even if the boy doesn't want to. Sometimes maybe he just wants the boy to feel like he has a say in things.
I think the boy is crying when he comes in from the swim because he knows he doesn't have a normal childhood. It seems like he just wants to find something to be happy. He expected the swim to maybe make him feel a little better about the situation they're in, to have a little fun. He was disappointed.
The fact that the woman in the group following them is pregnant just shows how desperate these people are for food. They have lost part of their humanity just to keep themselves alive. These people kill the babies they produce for food, the mother has lost all motherly instincts.
This is what makes the boy and his father the good guys, they would rather go without then do something completely inhumane. While others are simply surviving with no morals, the father is trying to teach the son to still have morals, no matter the situation.
Its important that the man allows the boy to make decisions too because he knows the boy will be on his own soon because he knows that he is sick. He realizes that the boy will not know what to do if he spoon-feeds him all the time. Also, allowing the boy to make decisions allows the boy to have freedom and a significant say in the matters, especially when he is directly involved in them.
How traumatic to see the baby cooking over the fire...what do you make of the way the boy handled seeing that?
Honestly, I probably would've reacted worse than the boy did. To witness such a thing...it's unthinkable. Even in such desperate times, I can not fathom why someone would do something like that. The boy handled the scene quite well, but considering everything he's gone through so far, I'm not surprised. The boy is very mature for his age, and has seen things that no one, especially one so young, should ever have to see.
The man involves the boy in most decisions, such as the decision to eat the home-canned food. Why is it important that the man involves him?
It is very important that the man involves the boy in these decisions, as it is with any child. One day the parents won't be around. One day the child will have to make all of the decisions by him/herself. Therefore, parents need to teach their children to make their own decisions, and what better way to learn than through first-hand experience? Gradually, parents give more decision-making power to their children. And eventually, parents are more like guides for their children rather than participants in the decision-making process. As for the boy, he must learn to be even more cautious with his decisions because of the perilous world he lives in. Since the man involves the boy in decision-making early on, the boy will be more prepared to face the world alone after the man is gone.
I believe the man involves the boy in most decisions as a learning tool. He knows that one day the boy will be on his own and he is preparing him for life. The boy has grown and matured much faster than he should have to yet he is still learning everyday about the world and different situations. We learn through experience and the man is giving the boy hands on experience in most situations. I believe he is doing what is best for the boy and is just looking out for his best interest.
Earlier in the novel, the narrator mentioned that there were no other children. I was not quite sure why, especially when there had been pregnant women. Later it was obvious. They were cannibals, and they were producing children for food. Like they were some sort of animal. It’s hard enough to stomach the idea of them eating somebody who is already dead or dying, but to raise humans for no other purpose than to be slaughtered like livestock, that left me with an indescribable feeling of disgust. I understand that they are desperate to survive in such an unpromising time, but I still cannot rationalize eating one’s own children. I use the word “children” loosely since some of them were only infants. I would rather face death than eat my own child or any other human being.
I agree with Erin. It's very impotant that the man involves the boy in every decision. It makes the boy learn fast about survivng. The boy has to tbe prepared if something were to happen to his father. In a way the boy had to grow up fast.
I don't think the baby cooking over the fire bothered the boy that much because they have been seeing dead corpes thier whole journey. It's not somehing I would have let my chid see. and I would never handle it the way the boy did.
The man involves the boy in decisions to try to allow him to have a "normal" childhood. A boy his age in a good environment would have many experiences making his or her own decisions about what color crayon to use, what clothes to pick out, who to play with and how to tell the truth. The old man has more knowledge than the boy and knows what the correct decision is, but by involving the boy, he is bringing them closer and allowing the boy to learn how to be a man.
The man involves the child in his decisions to let the child gain experience with decision-making for when the man is no longer there. He wants to teach him what he can and see how the boy learns. He also wants to treat the boy as more of an adult than a child. Faced with such hardships, the boy has matured faster than a normal kid his age.
The significance of a pregnant lady in the group that is following them is that another soul is going to enter this makeshift world that now is. I agree with Carrol that the mother has no instincts because the soul she is bringing into the world is nothing more than a convenience for the others. The makeshift world that they are trying to live through entails many hardships and morally wrong thinking. Because the people in the novel are in such desperate times they do things that most can't even imagine, such as breeding just to eat your young. In the animal kingdom though many do just this if it is needed, where is one to know where to draw the line?
Dead bodies in the water. That's why the boy was crying. Totally gruesome, I know, but that's what I think. The boy gets upset whenever he and the man run into rotted corpses and people on the road that are close to death. The only thing that I can think of that would work the boy up so much in the water is that he touched a dead body.
The word tokus points to a Jewish heritage for the man. Tokus means butt.
I think the boy was crying because he wanted the ocean to be blue. This had been the point of their Corney to the shore, the ocean being blue was a spot of hope for the boy that when he saw it was gray he couldn't hold back his disappointment.
The man involves the boy in most decisions because he wants to prepare the boy just in case something happens to him. He wants the boy to learn how to make good decisions once he is alone. It also allows the boy to feel like an individual and assures him that the man trusts him.
The boy is crying when he comes in from his swim because it has been such a long and gruesome journey to the ocean that he is overcome with emotions. He finally gets to see the ocean after all that they have gone through. The water probably feels like something new washing over him. He is very overwhelmed and just breaks down. HE may finally feel that things are looking up because they made it to their destination after being so close to death so many times.
Now that I look back at the like "they wondered thought the rooms like skeptical house-buyers" and it puts a clear picture in my mind of this man and boy wondering this house, looking at every detail. They may not be looking at the rooms like a normal house buyer, who looks at all the details like woodwork and windows. But instead they are looking for everything and anything in the house that could help them survive. They look at every detail that could make that small difference. Also they are checking every detail to make sure that they are the only ones in the house, that someone isn't hiding out. That they will be safe here, at least for a little while.
The man really seems to care what the boy's opinion is and wants to hear what he has to say. For little reasons know the man seems to already know that he will not always be there for the boy by knowing this the man can then help the boy learn to make better decisions about life. Even though they're in a different world their lives have similarities to our lives. For instance, the every parents learns to let their child make their own mistakes, but guide them with the knowledge they've obtained over the years.
I love that the man involves the boy in decisions. I think it makes the boy feel important, and useful in the horrible situation they are in. I think it makes the father feel the bond between him and his son as well. But I also think he is asking the boys opinion because he knows he will not be with the boy forever, and the boy might have to make these decisions on his own. The man’s health is deteriorating fast, and the only reason he is trying so hard to survive is for his son. The man wants the boy to know what to do once he is gone. The man wants the boy to survive.
The baby cooking over the fire had to be one of the most traumatic things the boy had ever seen in his life. I don’t know if there is a right or a wrong way to handle it. The boy knows the baby was young and defenseless, and I think it was an eye-opener for him to see that bad does exist and could be anywhere in their society now. I think the father handled it well by taking him away from the situation, and the boy handled it well in return. How else would he have handled it?
The significance of the pregnant woman is the thought that anyone who is going through such a difficult time period like this would want to bring a new life into a terrible world like this. If you remember back to the beginning of the book, the man and his wife felt horrible for bringing another life into the world, and that was years before, basically right when everything first started to happen. Now, this lady that is walking on the road years later is pregnant. I think that it may be a precursor to a new beginning and a better world.
Seeing a baby being roasted over a fire is such a traumatizing experience and I really have no clue how I would react. It's so inhumane - you would never even imagine something like that occuring. I truthfully thought that the boy would have reacted with more aggression than he did.
It is important that the man involved the boy in decisions because he wants him to feel involved in what is left of the world. One day the man may die (he seems to be sick) and the boy will be left alone, so he needs to know how to survive by himself. It also shows their strong bond and how they trust each other with their decisions.
The significance of the pregnant woman is that sadly, another human will have to enter into this unfortunate world. When I read this, it made me think back to the boy's mother and how she said her heart was ripped out the night he was born. I wonder if this mother-to-be is thinking of the same thing?
It is very important for the man to allow the boy to make decisions so that he lives as normal of a life as possible. If the boy was under normal circumstances, he would be making decisions for himself. I think it is very good for the man to allow him to make decision so life can see a little more normal.
Along with a lot of others, i also believe that the man included the boy in so many of the decisions that they made to prepare him for his future. The old man knows that sooner or later the boy will be on his own, and have to make the same kind of decisions without his help and guidance.
The sight of baby cooking over a fire would probably make me puke. That is so inhumane and disgusting to me, i would rather die than eat an innocent, defenseless child. I would have reacted much stronger than the boy, even reading about that made me sick.
Throughout the novel the man asks the boy what he think about this or that and the home-canned food situation is a good example of one of these exchanges. It is important that the man involves the boy in these decisions because one day the boy will have to make these same decisions on his own, without his father. The man involves the boy because he is teaching him how to make smart decisions even if the boy doesn’t know that he is learning. I think the man also involves the boy because he wants to make sure that the boy doesn’t feel left out and that he values the boy’s input and thoughts.
The woman being pregnant is a symbol of hope to the boy and father. Pregnant women are usually considered the bringers of hope and new beginnings. The woman being pregnant shows there is hope for the boy and the father.
How traumatic to see the baby cooking over the fire...what do you make of the way the boy handled seeing that?
The boy handled the scene quite well. Yes, he was upset, but a normal boy his age would have been seriously scared, freaked out, scarred, and just really messed up. This boy managed to just turn his back to it, which really shows how the times have affected his mind along with his body.
The pregnant woman is the host of the group's next promising meal. The boy may have realized this a long time ago, which would explain why he handled like he handled seeing other bodies. He was upset, but he didn't get sick like I would have expected him to. His father handled it in the best way he can by removing his son from the sight, but the kid was bound to see something awful like that eventually.
The man wanted to go to the coast, in hopes that their was still something beautiful in the world. He hoped, as much as the boy did, that the ocean would be blue. When it wasn't, the man just sat there, because it was just another disappointment, but the boy still had hope. He's been dreaming about swimming for ages, but he comes out crying because it wasn't what he had dreamed of. Afterwords there is the thought of 'now what?' which cannot be answered.
the pregnant woman is significant both because a pregnant woman needs a lot of extra care, and that eventually there'll be another human being to feed. it's significant enough that she's still walking around, much less that her and the father care enough about the child that they're risking their own lifes instead of just aborting it.
it is significant that the artifacts have not been dug up or destroyed by travelers, or that they haven't been destroyed in whatever catastrophic event occurred. and the items represent the past, the coin more so, because it no longer has any use in the present.
i think the boy is crying when he comes in from his swim because he realizes he has come as far in this direction as he can realistically go, because as difficult as the journey was, he still is sad that it's over. he also could be sad because he's gotten a taste of the old world, but knows he'll never experience it.
"They are watching for a thing that even death cannot undo and if they do not see it they will turn away from us and they will not come back." It's hard to know exactly what the man means when he has this thought. perhaps the "thing" that cannot be undone by death is a lack of a will to survive. If the people the man believes to be watching them do not see that the man and the boy have become weak and lost the will to survive, the man thinks that they will leave them alone. In other words, if the watching people see their vigor to "carry the fire," they would leave because they would know that they wouldn't be able to cross the man and the boy without a fight.
When the man involves the boy in his decisions he is treating him as an equal, almost like another adult. It establishes trust between the two characters, and allows the bot an opportunity to learn and grow. In addition, the man clearly values the opinions of the young boy.
As for the baby over the fire... The boy handled it well, in my opinion. But I feel like that isn't a good thing. His experiences have left him hardened and not as childish as one would expect. He is very mature for his age, but he has seen many traumatic things in such a short time, things that may affect him in the future.
I think the boy handled the baby well for what he’s been through. He knows that there’s a lot of bad guys out there. The good guys are hiding, but that’s who they need to find. If I were in that position, after seeing the people locked into the closet to be eaten later, I wouldn’t have felt much knowing that the baby was already gone. He believes in God, so he should know that the baby is in a better place.
The man involves the child in his decisions to let the child gain experience with decision-making for when the man is no longer there. He wants to teach him what he can and see how the boy learns. He also wants to treat the boy as more of an adult than a child. Faced with such hardships, the boy has matured faster than a normal kid his age. When his father passes, he takes on challenges that he has had to cope with earlier in the novel, and remember all of the lessions he learned.
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