Mini-Literary analysis. The Road: How is the boy a representation of a Christ-like figure?

Upon completion of The Road by Cormac McCarthy, one wouldn’t think it to have very much relation or comparison to anything from the Bible or Christianity, but after studying the text a bit; I’ve come to find some relation between the two.  Although McMarthy was not a professed Christian whatsoever, he still creates some situations in his writing throughout The Road that could be seen as spiritual or related to our Christian faith in some way. 

We know from the text that the boy from the story looks to his father for protection, guidance, provision, and reassurance.  The relationship between the boy and his father could be compared to Jesus’ relationship with God the Father.  Although the father from the story didn’t exactly act in the exact same manner as God the Father did with Christ, he was still everything the boy needed.  The boy couldn’t have survived without his father.  We know from the gospels that Jesus was afraid of what he was sent to earth to do.  He was submissive to his Father, but would still continually ask for strength and provision seeing as he did not feel fully prepared to handle the situation at times.  Jesus was always in communication with his Father and listening for what he was to do next; -very much like how the boy was always looking to his father to find out what was going to happen next. 

The boy in the story also reminded me of how Christ would act if he were to come upon some of the situations the boy and his father did throughout the story.  Or, in other words, the boy acted in the way Christians today should act and treat others.  The father on the other hand reminded me of the way most Christians today would handle the situations they came upon. 

The most prominent scene that comes to mind from The Road that could be compared to a story in the Bible is when the father and son come upon a man on the side of the road who called himself Eli.  The father is skeptical and somewhat reluctant to help the old man, but the boy feels as if he’s obligated to help him, like there is no other option but to help the man and give him something to eat.  On page 163, the father says to the son, “I don’t think you should touch him.” But the son ignores that statement and responds with, “Maybe we could give him something to eat.”  The boy responds to the situation he’s in like Jesus would, -or like a “Good Samaritan” would.

This situation is similar to the story of the leper on the side of the road and the Good Samaritan from the Bible.  A man traveling on a road from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers, stripped of his clothes, and left half dead on the side of the road.  A priest and a Levite walk right past the man without stopping, afraid to touch him.  But soon enough the Good Samaritan comes along and helps the dying man.  He gives him something to eat and even bandages some of his wounds.  There is no question to me that the boy is like the Good Samaritan.  He gives the man on the side of the road who was half dead something to eat and even convinces his father to let him stay with them for a night.  The boy represented Christ throughout the whole situation, while the father had to be convinced by his own son that it was okay and safe to let the man stay with them for a night.  The father acted like most Christians today would react if they saw a man dying on the side of the road.  They would convince themselves its none of their business and someone else would come along to help instead of them having to go out of their way. 

Christians should have the mindset of others first, then them self, but it is usually the opposite.  Jesus always put other before himself and in the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan man definitely put others before himself.  The boy reflects both Christ and the Good Samaritan in that in almost every situation he and his father came upon, he always thought to help others before himself.  Even as scarce as their food supply was, when the boy thought he saw another young boy around his age, he wanted so badly to turn around and help him.  He was willing to share half of his food, which was already half of a can of food.  The father had the mindset of “me first, then others” –sadly, much like that of many Christians today.  We (Christians) seem to have to make ourselves comfortable before we decide to help others.  It should be the other way around!

I strongly believe the boy represented a picture of how Jesus would handle very difficult situations, and the father represented the rest of the world and/or, sadly, the majority of Christians today. 

annotative - The Road

“a shopper from the commissaries of hell”

Commissary:

Dictionary.com: (1) n. a store that sells food and supplies to the personnel or workers in a military post, mining camp, lumber camp, or the like.
(2) a person to whom some responsibility or role is delegated by a superior power; a deputy.

Oxford English Dictionary: (1) n.  ...One to whom a special duty or charge is committed by a superior power; one commissioned to act as representative; a deputy, delegate....
(2) An officer or official who has charge of the supply of food, stores, and transport, for a body of soldiers. (Formerly they also inspected the musters of men.)

Urban Dictionary: In the context of incarceration, a store for provisions available to inmates on occasion.

These shoppers would eat your children in front of your eyes, tunnel among the ruins and crawl out from the rubble carrying charred and unidentified tins of food in nylon nets... 

It’s as if the author gives the reader a type of imagery of hell, where blackened demon-like men rule earth and scavenge for anything they can find worth some type of value, -even your own children as food.  The father in the story presumes that the world is soon to be populated by these types of men.  I think the vivid description and imagery the author uses in this one sentence adds depth to the story by really accentuating the reader’s perception of the type of world they’re living in.  It sort of gives the reader a glimpse of how truly bad and desolate it is.  These “shoppers” don’t make sense to me because honestly, if I were alive during a time such as described in the story, I wouldn’t want to live.  There would not really be any part of me that would have the desire to stay alive and/or do whatever I had to do in order to preserve my life.  To me it would be like life isn’t worth living.  But for these men, they go so far as to eat children to stay alive.  That thought is somewhat unperceivable to me.  I really don’t think we as a society would ever become that desolate… no matter what happens.  But I guess I’ll really never know!

Commissary. Oxford English dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.seuniversity.edu:2048/view/Entry/37133?rskey=nvjk7v&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid

Commissary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/commissary

Commissary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=commissary

Fire.

“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we Papa? Yes. We are. And nothing bad is going to happen to us. That’s right. Because we’re carrying the fire. Yes. Because we’re carrying the fire.” (pg 83)

    This phrase “carrying the fire” is seen in more than one place throughout our readings so far.  What is the fire?  The Oxford English Dictionary defines fire as follows:

Fire: n. The natural agency or active principle operative in combustion; popularly conceived as a substance visible in the form of flame or of ruddy glow or incandescence.

Another online literary symbolism dictionary stated that fire could be a symbol of inspiration, yet it is most predominantly the symbol of hell.  The same source also listed a few other ideas of fire pertaining to purification, resurrection, and spiritual enlightenment.  Personally, I see fire as being a sense of warmth, sometimes painful to put out, sometimes hard to start/make; and of course the spiritual side of me sees fire as being something that doesn’t die – like the fire that’s been placed in me by the Holy Spirit. 
    Why does the author repeatedly use this phrase throughout conversations between the father and son?  The Christian in me wants to believe that “the fire” is their “good” spirit inside of them.  The book also repeatedly uses the phrase, “the good guys.”  An example is when the son says, “we’re still the good guys right?”  I think the phrase “we’re carrying the fire” is very significant to this story because it forces the reader to really think about what it is.  Now that we’ve dug in a little deeper into the story I’ve begun to enjoy it more, but I still find myself asking, “What is the significance to them carrying the fire?”
    The author also uses enjambment continuously throughout the book.  His refrain from using quotation marks and other punctuations can be confusing at times, but it also engages the reader and forces them to try to figure out who is saying what and what is going on in the story, adding depth to the story.  I enjoy when the author leaves things for the reader to figure out on their own because it makes the read challenging.
    I believe the fire could also be another name for the gun (FIREarm) that the father carries at all times.  The son might think that they’re safe because they have a gun – aka “the fire” that can keep them from harm’s way.  Although the meaning of the fire hasn’t been discovered yet, I believe this phrase is going to continue to be an important one throughout the text, and one that the reader needs to pay attention to in order to fully understand what’s going on. 

References:

"Fire." Dictionary of Symbolism. Web. <http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/F/fire.html>.
"Fire." Oxford English Dictionary. Web. <http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.seuniversity.edu:2048/search?searchType=dictionary&q=fire&_searchBtn=Search_)>.

Reflective.

So far, Peace Like A River hasn’t been the most interesting read for me.  I’m the type of person that likes suspense and exciting things in many areas of my life.  For example, I LOVE thrill rides like roller coasters.  I will go on any and every one!  My favorite types of movies are also suspense/action films, -like Taken with Liam Neeson.  The only parts of this book that have really excited me and kept me engaged were in the beginning where Enger gives us the scene of Jeremiah “taking care” of Finch and Busca, and when Davy shoots them down.  I like books that are descriptive and give tons of imagery.  The past few chapters have been difficult for me to stay engaged with because much of the information given is just character building, -which is important, but not all that interesting to me.  I’ve found myself numerous times lately realizing I hadn’t been paying any attention whatsoever to what I was reading.  I’ve had to go back and re-read quite a few pages in order to comprehend what was going on.  Overall though, Peace Like A River has been pretty enjoyable.  I love the way the author writes and how even though many times he doesn’t use imagery, he is still somehow very descriptive in his writing in a way that makes you understand what he’s trying to say.  I’m a very visual person in the way I understand things, so when a reader can get through to me without painting a picture in my head, I’m impressed!  I was also really intrigued with Swede’s poetry.  She is such a young character but is incredibly brilliant in her writing (not to mention her vocabulary too).  Reading her writings really helped her character come alive throughout the book.  It helped the reader get inside her head and understand her a little bit better.
    I’ve liked seeing the growth within Reuben throughout all the chapters.  There are little instances here and there such as when he drinks coffee with his father’s (Jeremiah) best friend, that show the reader how he’s growing up and “becoming a man.”  I believe the distance of Davy’s character has helped with that.  Without Reuben having to go through all these troubles and search with his family for Davy, I don’t think he would really be growing as he is in the same way, -if at all.  Davy was the one with all of the responsibility and “manhood” or strength in the house until the whole fiasco went down.  Like it’s said, “God works in mysterious ways” and maybe this whole situation with Davy will end up being a sort of blessing in disguise in the end.  We shall see.

Annotative.

“I turn the corner of prayer and burn In a blessing of the sudden Sun.”

-       “Unnamed” By Dylan Thomas

After reading this poem numerous times, I believe the “I” (speaker) in this poem is Paul from the Bible, and this poem is in reference to the story in Acts 9 of when God blinded him on the road to Damascus.  The word “Sun” in this line refers to God’s overpowering glory, so bright He is impossible to look upon.  The author plays with words when he writes, “…burn In a blessing of the sudden Sun.”   Things burn when they are in the sun, and the speaker in this poem is burning in his heart from the overwhelming presence of the Son. 

Acts 9:3-4

³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Later in the poem it reads, “His lightening answers my Cry” –making me even more confident in my opinion of this poem’s meaning because of verse three. 

There is also the usage of the word “sudden” in both this line of the poem and in verse 3 of Acts 9.  I believe “the sudden Sun” really means, “the sudden Son.”

This is the first line in the poem that led me to believe it was a creative telling of Acts 9:1-4.  This line adds depth to the poem because it gives the reader a picture in their minds (imagery) of what is going on in the poem and what the speaker is feeling and/or going through.  Without the understanding of what this line means, the rest of the poem would be even more difficult to understand or decipher.  It is important for the reader to picture in their minds what they believe to be happening in the poem. 

Truth is...

My heart truly aches for you.  I wonder what happened to you to make you feel the way you do about God.  You probably won’t believe me, but Jesus has told me something very different from what you’re saying. 

Truth is…
Jesus was there when God established the heavens, when He drew the horizons on the oceans. 
He was there when God set the clouds above, when He established the springs deep in the earth. 
He was there when God set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries, and when He marked off the earth’s foundations. 
Jesus was the architect at God’s side. [Proverbs 8]

Truth is…
God is nothing like a drawing-pin caught in a sock. 
He is an everlasting, overabounding source of joy, peace, comfort, truth, and most of all love. 
I pray one day you’ll see that.

Truth is…
You’re not a mistake. No one is, or was, or ever will be.
Did you know that God even knows how many hairs are on your head?
How, you ask?  Because He created you. 
He knit you together while you were still in your mother’s womb. 
He knows every thought you have before you even think it. 
There is no escaping His presence, no matter how hard you try.

Truth is…
You are fearfully and wonderfully made –whether you like it or not, and whether you believe it or not.   

Truth is…
God is madly in love with you –whether you like it or not, and whether you believe it or not.

Truth is…
I pray one day you can come to believe all of this. 

Sincerely,
A concerned friend

Problematize -Pillow.

“There's nothing that won't fit under it:
fountains clogged with mud and leaves,
the houses of my childhood.”

This line from the poem “Pillow” troubles me because I cannot figure out what the deeper meaning behind it is.  I’m not the best at deciphering poetry to begin with, so when I read even the slightest abstract poem, I usually don’t understand it at all.  I didn’t even realize until we discussed the poem in class that it talks about when you try to fall asleep, but your mind races like crazy and it just seems impossible to do so –“Voices in the trees, the missing pages of the sea. Everything but sleep.”

We learned a bit about Li-Young Lee in class on Tuesday, and it was interesting to see all of the correlations between his past and his writing.  I wonder if “fountains clogged with mud and leaves” could represent steadiness throughout his life.  His biography stated that as a child, he moved around often and his father seemed to have many professions.  Maybe the fountain’s steady stream represents his life and the mud and leaves represent the trials or busyness of his childhood. Or maybe the fountain represents the presence of his father throughout Lee’s childhood.  His biography also stated that his father spent two years in jail because of political reasons.  The “mud and leaves” could represent Lee’s father’s time spent in jail and how that affected the steady presence of a father figure in Lee’s childhood. 

I know for sure if my father had to spend two years in jail for political reasons during my childhood, it would affect my life permanently.  I understand what it means to have faith now, as a 21 year old, but as a child I really didn’t understand what it meant to have faith.  I didn’t understand that all things work together for those that love God and are called according to His purpose.  I would definitely view the absence of my father as a bunch of mud and leaves obstructing the steady flow of the fountain of my youth.  It’s difficult to understand why bad/sad things happen when we’re children.  I believe this “mud and leaves” reference in Lee’s poem has a much deeper meaning than the reader would notice at first glance.  I think Lee put that line in this poem purposefully, and the line is meant to leave some interpretation up to the reader.