Five Essay Topics You Should Read About In The Road

Five Essay Topics You Should Read About In The RoadCormac McCarthy's The Road is an often-overlooked masterpiece of short fiction. It's a novel that is part Philip Roth, part Raymond Carver and part Joseph Conrad. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out on one of the greatest novels ever written. But before you begin reading The Road, here are five essay topics to ponder: the relationships between work and family, the impact of religion on people's lives, life as a female in America today, art and science, and art and money.The Road is set in Wyoming, at the end of the 19th century. Working class farm families have left town and moved to the hinterlands. In the hinterlands, they must struggle to find work and maintain their standard of living. The Road takes us on the lives of four men and women in the hinterlands who are struggling to survive and find fulfillment.The relationships between work and family is a theme running through The Road. Almost every character has a family that they depend on for support. The first relationship that we encounter between these characters is the family relationship between Joel and Anita, a black and white family forced to live together because Joel cannot provide an income to support his family.The second relationship in The Road involves James, who was thrown out of his family to start a new life with his new wife, Rose. He and Rose fall in love, despite their family's opposition, and work together to make the most of their relationship and build a new life.The third relationship in The Road is between Bob and Caryl, who each of them creates narratives to explain their relationship to one another. They seem to understand each other perfectly; Bob as the farmer, Caryl as the mother. But each brings a different perspective to the table, and each needs to make a narrative to justify their needs.The fourth relationship, also between a man and a woman, involves Kate, who desperately wants to leave her husband, but wishes to do so with the knowledge that he is away from home all the time. This is another case where the separation from the family is a great relief. There is not the demand to keep up appearances for a woman in the hinterlands.Finally, the fourth relationship is between a scientist and his daughter, Nicole, who are not yet born when she returns to California to attend college. Her relationship with her father is a romantic one. She understands that this separation will provide her with a fresh start. It is this tension, between father and daughter, that is important in the end.The Road is a small novel, yet it explores many themes. If you've never read it, make it a point to start with this topic and you'll be glad you did.