After the man returns with apples and water, the boy began to ask questions about the bad guys. “They’re going to kill those people…They’re going to eat them…And we couldnt help them because then they’d eat us too” (127). I think back and realize the mother shot herself because she did not want to be kidnapped by the bad guys. She says the bad guys “are going to rape us and kill us and eat us” (56). She could not stand that kind of suffering, so she restored to the least amount of suffering…shooting herself. Going back to the hidden room that the man and the boy found that was filled with all the naked people, my interpretation of it is that the people could have been sex slaves. However, with the man’s legs missing, it can also be interpreted that they were eating the people one body part at a time. This shows how cruel and savage humans are and how we truly treat each other. I can’t even imagine someone eating me slowly, let alone, eat someone for myself.

McCarthy never tells us how long their journey has been going on. Basically half way through the book, we are finally given insight into about how long this has been going on…”years” (131). “By the roadside stood another sign that warned of death, the letters faded with the years.”

While travelling, they came upon another house. They found dozens of crated of food. “Crate upon crate of canned good. Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. Canned hams. Corned beef. Hundreds of gallons of water” (138). This shows that even in the most difficult times of need, God provided for us. The man was not panicking about their food situation, and they just happened to stumble upon a room full of food. “It’s here because someone thought it might be needed” (139). The boy then asks it is “okay for us to take it.”

This is one of the more positive impacts humans have on each other throughout the book. There are not many times this happens in The Road, so when it does, we need to take note of it. You never know what’s to come in the future; God is the only true planner.