With this type of novel there is always the possibility that this could forshadow a possible future for mankind or even act as a warning for now and for tommorow, such as with Geogre Orwell's 1984. What do you think could have gone wrong with the world our protagonists live in, how could anyone have prevented it, and do you think it's a real possibility for a future of our own? Relate to 1984. Find quotes that justify your reasoning
6 comments:
Some possible things that I think may have gone wrong with the world that our protagonist lives in would be a possible flawed government, ineffective leaders, and/or continuous battle for power and wealth leading up to what might have been one of the worst wars in all of history.
Some ways in which people might have prevented this from happening would be to fix the government and leaders of the times, and work to make power and money more equal among the masses.
Although the Road’s version of the future is immensely extreme, I can see how the future may turn out somewhat along those lines, just in a less extreme way. For instance, I could see the leaders of tomorrow becoming detrimental to the overall success and wellbeing of the world around us, and the government turning its power and money over to just a few, hurting the masses, and thus resulting in war.
The Road can be related to 1984 in the sense that both demonstrate the demise of a society, most likely stemming from the source of flawed leaders and government in general. Some quotes that back up such reasoning would be as follows:
“With the first gray light he rose and left the boy sleeping and walked out to the road and squatted and studied the country to the south. Barren, silent, godless.” (Pg. 4)
“The cap was gone and the man dropped to his elbows to smell the pipe but the odor of gas was only a rumor, faint and stale.” (Pg. 6)
“Everything as it once had been save faded and weathered.” (Pg. 8)
Some factors that would have caused the destruction of the previous world in The Road are money, power, and religion persecution. If those were the actual reasons behind the devastation I don't think it would have been preventable. Money is a necessity for life and depending on how a person has it can determine how well he or she lives. The insatiable drive for power could also be applicable to the mass destruction apparent in the novel. The path for power has been evident within leaders such as Hitler and Stalin. They took the desire for complete control and made it a reality through torture and manipulation of the people. With leaders like those not too far in the past, the innate drive for power could occur again, even within our own society. Also, religion has been a major conflict in the past and continues to be a problem within our world. With the United States becoming more diverse as the years go on it is probable that conflicts will arise and result in ultimate wreckage.
In 1984 it is apparent that the omnipresent government and harsh ruling of the leaders are the reasons behind the destruction of Oceania. However, in The Road, it is not evident what has caused all of the devastation surrounding the man and his son. It is plausible that money, power, and overbearing government ruling are all behind the destruction.
"No one traveled this road. No road agents, no marauders." (Page 16)
"He caught it in his hand and watched it expire there like the last host of christendom." (Page 16)
“Sometimes the child would ask him questions about the world that for him was not even a memory.” (Page 54)
There are multiple events that could have led up to the world that is portrayed in the novel. Most likely, there was a major war that resulted in mass destruction of the world's population. Something like this can be prevented if certain leaders are taken out of power and if there are more campaigns for peace. As in Orwell's novel 1984, The Road can also serve as a warning for the future because we currently live in a world with many nations fighting for power; however, I personally don't see this as a realistic possibility. The Road does relate to 1984 in that both novels describe the destruction of the human mind and memory which can be seen when it says "Late in the year. He hardly knew the month. He thought they had enough food to get through the mountains but there was no way to tell."(25)
Brianna Cote
There could be several possibilities that could lead to the end of the world. I believe that there was a medical epidemic or a world wide war that led to the current setting in The Road. Just like in George Orwell's 1984, The Road gives the reader a possible image of the future if there continues to be discord. The books are also very similar because each describe the destruction of the world and how mankind is to blame. For example, in The Road it says "Cold and gray and heavy in the scavenged bowl of the countryside." This quote describes the destruction landscape of the ruined world and what the world has finally come to.
-Brielle Bowman
The Road by Cormac McCarthy does parallel 1984 by George Orwell, in that it is an ominous foreshadowing of the possible devastation in the future. It is a warning that if society continues to be destructive, there will be a disaster.
In The Road, there has been a fire that killed off most of society. I believe that this is a political statement warning readers about nuclear warfare. To prevent this devastation, they could have been more careful with or avoided nuclear weapons altogether.
Like 1984, this is a real possibility for our future. Both books include references to politics. With so much war and technology in our time the setting in The Road could be a grave reality for our world.
The world of the "The Road" is a dark and sad one. It is obvious that a world wide castrophe has occurred, or perhaps mankind had turned on its self and we destroyed our own planet.
I believe it to be the the later. It is only a mattter of time before we enter World War 3 and we end ourselves.
I feel like a nuclear war ended the world we know today and brought about the new cold and lonely world of the road. For this to be prevented, people need to accept their differnces and learn to live and let live. We need to stop getting involved in the world's issues and let other countries handle their own problems. The world of The Road is definate possibility for our future.
-Brian Bettencourt
Post a Comment