Father Son Relationships In Cormac Mccarthy's The Road

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I initially began this inquiry project solely to give myself an excuse to read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I came up with a B.S. Inquiry question the night before it was due, it got approved, and I went on way. After reading the depressing novel, I was reading an online discussion (on Reddit no less) and pointed out the theme that in the end “…[our sons] have to watch us die, and we have to hope we’ve done enough.” That really struck a chord with me. After reading that, it made me think how much has my own father imparted on me. Does he ever think he hasn’t done enough? It also made me think even broader. Does every father have the same attitudes? Needless to say, my Inquiry question changed. Now I wanted to look at father-son relationships …show more content…
Every man wants their son to succeed in ways that far surpass their own success. This statement acts as the central theme to both The Road and Fences. In Papa’s mind, the Boy’s survival is the greatest success. Although the world that they live in may be bleak, the son’s purity and perseverance represented by a fire acts as a beacon of hope in Papa’s eyes. In the end, Papa can die in peace knowing that the fire lives in his son. He tells his son “It’s inside you. It was always there. I can see it” (McCarthy, 279). Every father hopes to be able to see a “fire” in their own son when their time has come. The end of Fences shows that Corey does seem to have more success than Troy. Troy’s mindset is noticed by Rose when she tells Corey that “your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t” (Wilson). The poems revealed just how much joy and effort go into raising sons with success. “Sonnet 37” by William Shakespeare really revealed to me that the importance of a father-son relationship has been present ever since the 17th century. It shows that this kind of relationship is timeless and incredibly important. Shakespeare uses the sharp contrast of a “decrepit father” (Shakespeare) that has been through so much and the happiness that is found through the child’s “abundance” (Shakespeare). The sonnet highlighted how great of an impact a son can have on one’s father. That is why father go through the “whips and scorns of life” (Guest) as present in “Only a Dad” by Edgar Guest. Guest’s poem explores the working-class father’s relationship with his sons and how, although it may feel tiresome, it is done “for the love of them” (Guest), much like in Shakespeare’s sonnet. This connection proves how influential the father-son relationship is. This poem offered insight a more modern outlook on father-son relationships. The working
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