Cormac McCarthy Blog

In the novel, The Road, Cormac has many themes that can be found. Based on interviews and commentaries that were made, I believe the most important theme that was seen was the relationship between the father and son. Cormac McCarthy uses his own experiences and emotions to bring his stories to life.

Cormac references his son multiple of times in one of his intervies with the Wall Street Journal.

WSJ: "The Road" is this love story between father and son, but they never say, "I love you."

CM: No. I didn't think that would add anything to the story at all. But a lot of the lines that are in there are verbatim conversations my son John and I had. I mean just that when I say that he's the co-author of the book. A lot of the things that the kid [in the book] says are things that John said. John said, "Papa, what would you do if I died?" I said, "I'd want to die, too," and he said, "So you could be with me?" I said, "Yes, so I could be with you." Just a conversation that two guys would have.

It is clear to see that while writing his novel, McCarthy thought about his son since he used regular conversations with him as dialogue in the book. McCarthy admitted on an interview with Oprah Winfrey that The Road is indeed a love story to his son. In the book, the father goes through many extents to try and provide his son with a better life. This just goes to show that a parent and child have a strong bond, that they can overcome anything together. This book is emotionally moving because he mentions how hes gotten letters from fathers saying that after they've read his book they went to their children and held them. Maybe this book was intented to fathers. To put them in a position and give them a feel of what it would be like if it was just them and their child.


Sources:
Wall Street Journal- Review of "The Road"

Oprah's Interview With Cormac McCarthy