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Fraser International College - ENGL112 Fall 2022 - Final essay
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Fraser International College - ENGL112 Fall 2022 - Final essay
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1English 112W – Literature Now
Instructor: Charles Pace
Date: November 29th, 2022
A Journey of growing up: An analysis of character types of the man and the boy
In Joseph Campbell’s monomyth
In 2006, the novel The Road, which is written by Cormac McCarthy. It is about a father
and his young son across a post-apocalyptic America after an extinction event. The father took
the boy south along the interstate to the coast. Moreover, he taught the son they were good man
who carry the fire. In the journey, they met various challenges while he tried to do the best for
his son however, he has violented their beliefs. In Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, The Road
specifically about the different character types encountered in the hero’s journey. It breaks down
stories into a series of experiences including crossing the Threshold from the journey, meeting
ordeal and returns with “the Elixir”. The man is hero with the purpose of wanting the boy to be
survival in the post-apocalyptic world, he protects the boy while guiding him to be a good man.
They overcome Threshold and ordeal in their journey and the boy changed his character. After
the man is dead, the boy completely became a shapeshifter with his safety and love of his father.
Firstly, in the hero journey, in order to protect the boy under dystopian world, the man is
the hero who bring the boy to against the marauders and cannibals, it is significant to the
character development of his son. Before the man and the boy encounter threshold figures who
attempt to stop the hero from progressing on his journey, he teaches “old stories of courage and
justice as he remembered them until the boy was asleep in his blankets” (McCarthy 12)”. It
represents the man wants the boy to understand what the ordinary world used to be with
, 2
kindness. At the same time, the man also understands they are good man as they carry the “fire”.
It keeps him to travel because he is inspired by purity of the boy. Therefore, when they meet the
threshold figures, he protects him and find a way to keep him alive as a character of hero. The
cannibals are “wearing canister masks” (McCarthy 18) It shows those groups with faceless and
masks which represent the dehumanization as we cannot see how they look like a human being.
They are danger symbol without humanity. As the man wants to protect his son, he kills one of
the masked cannibals. It indicates the man can do anything for the boy in order to keep him safe
even it will violate what he taught the boy before. In contract, the conversation from the boy and
the man such as “We're not going to kill it, are we Papa?” (McCarthy 12) and “No. We're not
going to kill it.” (McCarthy 12) shows that the boy begins ask for promises about not to hurt the
animals. It shows when the man is trying to keep his son safe as a hero character, his son
recognised they should maintain the believes in humanity in their journal. It is a sign for the
reader that he is going to change his role in the story which will be continued develop in the
novel.
In term of monomyth, the boy changes his role to a hero instead of herald whereas they
switch their role while they met the old man Ely, it is crucial for characterizing the son in
transformation indirectly that has an effect on nurturing the boy to be a shapeshifter. Whereas the
man is protecting the boy, he destroyed values from what he taught the boy. For example, he said
“I know what the question is, the answer is no” (McCarthy 52). It indicates the man no longer
willing to help Ely. Even Ely looks dead, the man refuses to help as he thought the food from
them was not enough to maintain life for a period. However, the boy determines to help Ely and
wants to go with him by saying “We could cook something on the stove. He could eat with us.
(McCarthy 52)”. The quote suggests the boy turning to a hero as he the boy keeps reminding the
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