Cormac McCarthy Blog

The Road = Being Tested Over and Over Again

Based on the information I've gathered from some sources, I've come to the conclusion that "The Road" is based on a test. In the novel, things were tested and most importantly, people were tested. When they are on the struggle to survival, the only thing keeping them motivated and alive is there love for one another. Therefor, their love is being tested. On this mission of survival, they don't want to be without each other, they want to be inseparable. If one dies, the other wants to die. Here's my evidence, in an interview with Cormac McCarthy, the he speaks upon the following dialogue between him and his "son": 

Papa, what would you do if I died?

I'd want to die, too

So you could be with me?

Yes, so I could be with you.

Out of all of the conversations between him and his son he can choose from, he chose this one, which means that particular dialogue is pretty essential to the body of the story which is a test or getting tested. In this specific dialogue, he is tested by his son, his son is "testing" his reaction to his death. McCarthy stated in an interview with New York Times, death is his biggest issue. Which also relates to the quote above. But I wouldn't consider death a theme because it's the opposite of what the story is about. The novel is about survival. They are set in a natural disaster with two bullets, they are "tested" to see what they will do. In addition to what I said, they are "tested" in a situations that determine if they survive. In "The Road" they could be "tested" at any time. Like Cormac McCarthy said, “If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.”