McCarthy’s the road and ethical choice in a post-apocalyptic world

Abstract

In her article “McCarthy’s The Road and Ethical Choice in a Post-Apocalyptic World” Jingjing Guo analyses ethical choice and its implications in McCarthy’s The Road. After examining the deterioration of the ethical context and the prevalence of evil reflected in cannibalism, Guo highlights the father’s ethical choice and dilemma. Different from most others, the father chooses to keep alive to protect his son, and to stay man and stay good in a physically devastated and morally bankrupted world. Through discussing the meaning of the metaphor “fire” and “carrying the fire,” Guo further explores the significance of the father’s choice in passing the “fire” to a new world.