History Literature / TheRoad

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first few scenes show very clearly that the Man is dedicated to protecting the boy. In the first flashback, immediately after the first sign of trouble, the Man begins filling the sinks and bathtubs with water, a very real tactic for handling emergencies, showing how he's the kind of man with the right stuff to survive in this setting.

* DeathWorld: Almost all life on earth has been exterminated by a mysterious cataclysm that has covered the entire planet in a thick layer of ash. There's almost no plant life left whatsoever, and the few remaining humans have largely turned to cannibalism.

* HumansAreBastards: Most of the other humans we see are degenerate cannibals. Even the Man himself is capable of vengeful cruelty as displayed by the incident with the thief.

* InTheDoldrums: The CrapsackWorld might qualify.

* PetTheDog: A couple from [[spoiler:the scavengers who pick up the boy at the end of the book]], showing that they're safe and trustworthy people to be around. [[spoiler:They [[DueToTheDead cover the Man with a blanket]] like they'd promised, and insist the Boy keeps his gun when he tries to give it to them]].

* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: When the Man and the Boy are surprised by the return of the cannibals and hide in the bathroom upstairs, the Man, upon hearing one of them climbing the stairs, puts his gun against the Boy's forehead and prepares to use his last bullet to spare him the horror of being captured and eaten. Ultimately averted thanks to the prisoners breaking out who distract the cannibals long enough to allow them to make their escape.

* ItsAllAboutMe: The mother.
* NeverTrustATrailer: Charlize Theron is only in flashbacks.

* OnlySaneMan: Some see the mother as this, since she preferred to die rather than struggle in this ruined world.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:Just like in the book, the Man forces the thief to strip naked and plans to leave him behind like that, essentially dooming him. However, due to the Boy's pleas, they go back to where they left him to return his clothes. Although he isn't there when they get there, they leave behind the clothes and a can of food.]]

* ScaryBlackMan: Very much averted with the thief. Yeah, he holds a knife to the Boy, but he's just in such a miserable state that he's more pitiful than scary.
* SceneryDissonance: Type 1. The film contains some horrific things. Whether or not the washed-out, decaying landscape is beautiful or not can be debated.

* SpitefulSpit: A thief spits on the cart of belongings to the Man and Boy at first when he refuses to give them up. He later ends up naked to die in the cold after giving up the Man's stuff and having his clothes taken from him.

* ApocalypseAnarchy: The world has descended into chaos. It's the law of the jungle.

* AfterTheEnd: One of the few such novels to actually make it look like mankind is on its way out. Not just scraping by, [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt but truly dying]].

* ArcWords: The phrase "carrying the fire" is constantly repeated by the boy, doubling as a SurvivalMantra. The phrase also appeared in ''Literature/NoCountryForOldMen.''

* BeardOfBarbarism: Averted and played straight. Averted by the father, whose unkempt beard is mentioned a few times (typically right before he has the chance to shave it off). Played straight when the two main characters stumbled upon the ghoulish larder of a small band of cannibals at one point. As they flee, they briefly glimpse the larder's owners, and the only adjective used to describe the men is "bearded."

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The man has died, but the boy finds a new, slightly more prosperous family to take care of him. Of course, they're still in a dying world]].
* BoomHeadshot: When a bandit tries to take the boy hostage with a knife, the man shoots him right in the forehead.
* BornLucky: The man suspects this of his son –as much as anyone can be BornLucky AfterTheEnd, anyway. By all the available evidence, he's right.
* BreakTheCutie: The boy is repeatedly subjected to this, most severely when they discover [[spoiler: the cannibal larder]].

* ChekhovsGun: Subverted. There are constant references to there only being one bullet left in the gun. [[spoiler:The ending implies that the father intended to use it to kill the Boy, but ultimately he can't and it's never used.]]
* ChildrenAreInnocent: The Man tries as hard as he can to preserve The Boy's idealism in this world, telling him stories and urging him to "carry the fire". The questionable actions he takes out of pragmatism work against this.

* DramaticGunCock: The man does this in particular for the audible effect, even though he knows the pistol is a double action.

* EatsBabies: The cannibals. At one point, the man and the boy see three men and a very pregnant woman. Three days after, they pass through a camp that has the remains of a beheaded, roasted infant on a spit.
* FlareGun: Used by the father to take out a person who was attacking him and his son with arrows.
* HappyFlashback: The man actively tries to discourage these. They just make him want to [[DrivenToSuicide end it]].

* HopeSpot: The father finds a still-stocked and untouched bomb shelter, giving them a short time with comfortable beds, food, and even hot baths. Since he knows others will find it as well, and that the supplies would be better used to sustain them on their ongoing journey, they don't stay more than a few precious days.
* HumansAreBastards: Most of the other humans we see are degenerate cannibals. Even the man himself is capable of vengeful cruelty as displayed by the incident with the thief.
* ImAHumanitarian: The only way for most people to eat, now that the biosphere's dying out. The man and the boy are amongst the few survivors who ''don't'' indulge in this. [[spoiler: As well as the group that finds the Boy at the end.]]
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: We see early on that the man has one, adding an extra layer of urgency to their journey.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The man coldly disregards the well-being of other survivors he passes without any trace of remorse out of necessity for the survival of him and his son. However, it's clear that he cares for his son and values his life over his own.
* KickTheDog: When the father and son catch up [[spoiler:to the man who stole from them, the father engages in some DisproportionateRetribution, ordering him to strip naked and throw his belongings in their cart. This, in short, gave him a death sentence by hypothermia]].

* MissingMom: The mother gave up hope and [[ParentalAbandonment left the family]] to kill herself when the boy was still an infant.
* MoralityPet: Were it not for the boy, the man would be an utterly callous and selfish hypocrite who doesn't follow his own claims of "carrying the fire".
* NamelessNarrative: No characters or even locations are named throughout the novel. Double subverted with an old tramp the man and his son meet at one point, who claims his name is Ely, before revealing it isn't, and that he doesn't want to tell them his real name.

* PapaWolf: The father.

* PetTheDog: A couple from [[spoiler:the scavengers who pick up the boy at the end of the book]], showing that they're safe and trustworthy people to be around. [[spoiler:They [[DueToTheDead cover the father with a blanket]] like they'd promised, and insist the boy keeps his gun when he tries to give it to them]].
* PlotDeviceAllAlong: Although not a technological example, the barking dog only the Boy can hear. [[spoiler:The Man believes it's an ImagineSpot as the Boy [[KindHeartedAnimalLover loves dogs.]] At the end of the book, it turns out that the dog belonged to the group who were following the Man and Boy to see if they were trustworthy.]]
* PostApocalypticTrafficJam: While the cause of the disaster which led to the post-apocalyptic world is never explained, there was apparently some fore-warning, as the highways out of the cities are described as containing "a long line of charred and rusting cars."
* ProtagonistCentredMorality: Justified. It's a dog eat dog world and ''everyone'' is doing what they can to survive - but we follow The Man and The Boy.

* [[RealIsBrown Real Is Gray]]: Justified in that ash has blotted out the sun for years and most of Earth's flora and fauna are dead.

* SchmuckBait: Averted. The man finds a jar of preserved fruit in an abandoned house. It looks very nice, but "other people hadn't trusted it, and in the end, neither did he."
* ShootTheHostageTaker: The father does this to a baddie who holds his son hostage in the woods.

* SorryThatImDying: [[spoiler: The man to the boy at the end.]]

* ThrowTheDogABone: The boy [[spoiler: loses his father, his only source of joy, comfort, peace of mind, and protection. Just as the story sets him up to travel the world as TheAloner, some scavengers who have been following them and claim to "carry the fire" appear... and by [[PetTheDog all the available evidence]], they're trustworthy. The two kids in their group look healthy, and best of all, not gnawed-upon.]].

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:The father forces the thief who stole their gear to strip at gunpoint, then leaves him helpless beside the road. He will almost assuredly die painfully as a result. [[CallingTheOldManOut The boy calls him on this]].]]

* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: When the man and his son are surprised by the return of the cannibals and hide in the bathroom upstairs, the father, upon hearing one of them climbing the stairs, puts his gun against his son's forehead and prepares to use his last bullet to spare him the horror of being captured. Ultimately averted thanks to the prisoners breaking out who distract the cannibals long enough to allow them to make their escape.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first few scenes show very clearly that the man is dedicated to protecting the boy. In the first flashback, immediately after the first sign of trouble, the man begins filling the sinks and bathtubs with water, a very real tactic for handling emergencies, showing how he's the kind of man with the right stuff to survive in this setting.
* FanDisservice: Both the father and a random thief appear naked at certain points. Neither of which are particularly attractive as well as the fact that the thief is being forced to strip at gunpoint.

* InnocentBlueEyes: The boys character is defined by his kindness, optimism and innocence and he has light blue eyes.

* KiddieKid: While the boys exact age is never stated, he was portrayed by an actor who was 11 at the time and looks it but he acts much younger throughout the film. He carries his teddybear around with him, his father bathes him and he gets frightened and needs to be comforted very quickly. This might be explained by his father being very overprotective.

* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:Just like in the book, the father forces the thief to strip naked and plans to leave him behind like that, essentially dooming him. However, due to the son's pleas they go back to where they left him to give him back his clothes. Although he isn't there when they get there, they leave behind his clothes and a can of food.]]
* RagnarokProofing:

* NothingButSkinAndBones: Due to living in a destroyed world where theyre constantly starving both the boy and the man have painfully emaciated looking bodies. The boy when looking at a mirror actually seems shocked at how skinny they both are.
--->'''The Boy:''' We look Skinny.
--->'''The Man:''' We are Skinny.

* ScreamingBirth: When the mother goes into labor.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: The boy.

* SpitefulSpit: A thief spits on the cart of belongings to the man and boy at first when he refuses to give them up. He later ends up naked to die in the cold after giving up The Man's stuff and having his clothes taken from him.

* ThrowTheDogABone: On top of [[spoiler: the boy finding a new family in the end like in the book, it's implied that life will go on. The boy finds a beetle in one late scene, and the credits feature sounds of birds and animals]].
* VomitIndiscretionShot: When the boy gets sick.
* WouldHurtAChild: As to be expected for the setting there are several people who would have no problem with hurting the boy if given the chance.

[[caption-width-right:332: '''”All earth was but one thought— and that was death”''' ''- Lord Byron'']]

[[caption-width-right:332: '''”All earth was but one thought— and that was death”''' - Lord Byron]]

[[caption-width-right:332: '''”All earth was but one thought— and that was death”''' (Darkness by Lord Byron)]]

[[caption-width-right:332: ''”All earth was but one thought— and that was death”'' (Darkness by Lord Byron)]]

[[caption-width-right:332: ''All earth was but one thought— and that was death.'' (Darkness by Lord Byron)]]

[[caption-width-right:332: ''All earth was but one thought— and that was death.'' - Darkness (Lord Byron)]]

[[caption-width-right:332: This. Is. DIRE.]]

* [[ItsAllAboutMe It's All About Me]]: The mother.

Like most of [=McCarthy's=] books, it was optioned for a film, and TheFilmOfTheBook (Also called ''The Road'') was released on November 25, 2009. It was directed by John Hillcoat, the director of ''Film/TheProposition'', starring Creator/ViggoMortensen, Kodi-Smit Mcphee, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Robert Duvall and Creator/GuyPearce. The score was done by Music/NickCave and Warren Ellis (no, not ''that'' Creator/WarrenEllis).

Like most of [=McCarthy's=] books, it was optioned for a film, and TheFilmOfTheBook (Also called ''The Road'') was released on November 25, 2009. It was directed by John Hillcoat, the director of ''Film/TheProposition'', starring Creator/ViggoMortensen, Kodi-Smit McPhee, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Robert Duvall and Creator/GuyPearce. The score was done by Music/NickCave and Warren Ellis (no, not ''that'' Creator/WarrenEllis).

Some time after an [[UnspecifiedApocalypse unspecified extinction-level global cataclysm]], ''The Road'' follows two survivors--a man and his young son--who journey south through the ashes of a [[AfterTheEnd Post-Apocalyptic]] UNited States in the hope of finding enough food to avoid starving to death over the coming winter in a place warm enough that they won't die of exposure either. They have only the rags on their backs, a cart of scavenged food, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled a gun with two bullets]], and one another. As they travel, they (and the reader) bear witness to a dead world where nothing grows, nothing lives, and the sun hasn't been seen in years. "Nothing lives" but refugees like them, wandering the country in search of food... and ever-hungry gangs of cannibals that stalk the roads.

Some time after an [[UnspecifiedApocalypse unspecified extinction-level global cataclysm]], ''The Road'' follows two survivors--a man and his young son--who journey south through the ashes of a [[AfterTheEnd Post-Apocalyptic]] USA in the hope of finding enough food to avoid starving to death over the coming winter in a place warm enough that they won't die of exposure either. They have only the rags on their backs, a cart of scavenged food, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled a gun with two bullets]], and one another. As they travel, they (and the reader) bear witness to a dead world where nothing grows, nothing lives, and the sun hasn't been seen in years. "Nothing lives" but refugees like them, wandering the country in search of food... and ever-hungry gangs of cannibals that stalk the roads.

Like most of [=McCarthy's=] books, it was optioned for a film, and TheFilmOfTheBook (Also called ''The Road'') was released on November 25, 2009. It was directed by John Hillcoat, the director of ''Film/TheProposition'', starring Creator/ViggoMortensen and Creator/CharlizeTheron (in a minor role). The score was done by Music/NickCave and Warren Ellis (no, not ''that'' Creator/WarrenEllis).

Some time after an [[UnspecifiedApocalypse unspecified extinction-level global cataclysm]], ''The Road'' follows two survivors--a man and his young son--who journey south through the ashes of the former USA in the hope of finding enough food to avoid starving to death over the coming winter in a place warm enough that they won't die of exposure either. They have only the rags on their backs, a cart of scavenged food, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled a gun with two bullets]], and one another. As they travel, they (and the reader) bear witness to a dead world where nothing grows, nothing lives, and the sun hasn't been seen in years. "Nothing lives" but refugees like them, wandering the country in search of food... and ever-hungry gangs of cannibals that stalk the roads.

[[caption-width-right:332: “It’s about a man who’s trying to get a pound back on his shopping trolley” - Robin Ince]]

[[quoteright:332:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3becb14e_c7a9_44f4_9bae_e84292b521b0.jpeg]] [[caption-width-right:280: “It’s about a man who’s trying to get a pound back on his shopping trolley” - Robin Ince.]]

[[quoteright:332:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3becb14e_c7a9_44f4_9bae_e84292b521b0.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:280: “It’s about a man who’s trying to get a pound back on his shopping trolley” - Robin Ince.]]