theroad

//The Road// Jordan Bloom, Justin Choi, Jack Lepore

=Week 1 (pg 1-60) =

Part A- Jordan  On your group's wiki page, describe the main characters in your text. What makes them interesting? What is their story or background? Why are you drawn to them? Conversely, are there any characters that you just cannot stand? Why not?

 Father- The father is a responsible man. He has taken on the burden of taking care of his son. The son needs protection from the elements and everything around them. The father is also putting on a facade in front of his son. Even though he is very straight forward with him, he has internal struggles like his illness that he keeps from his son. This could be a problem later in the story.

 Son- The son is hard to read. He doesn't talk much but we know he has been exposed to things that shouldn't be seen by kids his age. He is very dependent on his father and would probably die without him. The son is also very naive. This is a good thing so he isn't completely exposed to everything around him.

 Part B- Jack  1. "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before" (3).  2. "'What would you do if i died?'  'If you died i would want to die too'" (11).  3. "If they got wet they would probably die" (15).  4. "The long concrete sweeps of the interstate exchanges like the ruins of a vast funhouse against the distant murk" (24).  5. "By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp" (32).  6. "The thin drum of rain on the metal roof and the slow darkness falling over everything" (45).  7. "Sooner or later they will catch us and they will kill us" (56).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Part C- Justin and Jordan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. The author mentions "blood gangs" in this portion of the text. What do you think they are and will they be a problem later on? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Blood gangs are groups of people that do everything to survive, even if it troughs all morals out the windows. They kill and eat every person they capture that isn’t part of their gang. The two main characters will probably come in contact with several groups of people like this at some point in the book. It seems most of the remaining people in the world have resorted to cannibalism to survive.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. A major problem that faces the father is his sickness. He is coughing blood. Do you think this will be a major problem and what do you think the outcome will be? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The father's sickness is a huge problem. It will eventual make him very weak or kill him. If it doesn't kill the father, he will become so sick eventual that he won't be able to supply for the two of them. This will become a huge problem for the father and son alike not too far down the road.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. What are some of the defining traits of the father? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The father is very responsible and he is compassionate since he needs to take care of his son. The father negatively does not have much of a personality because he has, so far, not been able to have a long conversation with his son. This might be because he is a bit fearful as well, but he’s trying his best to survive. Also, the father has a façade and he tries to console his son by saying that the circumstances are going to be okay even though things might not.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. What was the atmosphere like in the beginning of the story? (city) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The atmosphere was very, very gloomy. The weather was usually foggy and darkness hovered over the city. Also, the coldness symbolizes how events will get worse and the sun rarely provides warmth to the father and son.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. What do you think is the reason behind why the boy is always saying, "We should go, Papa"? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The boy is saying that because the boy does not want to think about the past, especially when the Papa and son entered their old house. The father was trying to share some memories but the son repeatedly stated that they should leave since he is just a kid and is scared.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 6. Do you think Papa and the boy should have helped the man hit by lightning? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Papa and boy should have at least tried to help the man hit by lightning. They did not end up helping the man because the Papa was probably frightened that his son would have bad memories about the burning man.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Part D- Justin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On Friday, December 3, our group first stated that this book brought similar reactions and feelings we had from our first book club novel, World War Z. The first read for this book was very descriptive and it was clear that McCarthy's goal was to place a common sentiment to readers, regarding the events that took place. Jordan first introduced the question for part "a" and there were only two main protagonists to this story. The father and son could not express the happiest of emotions due to post-apocalyptic occurrences and the food shortage. It was evident that the father was responsible for his son who was panic-stricken for the hardships he was enduring. Many times we could tell that the father's role was to comfort his son because of the dire circumstances they were confronting. In part "b", Jack shared his quotes he found. One thing he pointed out was that the descriptive text made it easy for him to select quotes with deep meanings. The quotes were interesting because we saw a fusion of irony and figurative elements McCarthy used in his novel. One example was "By day the banished sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp". This quote mutually stood out to all of us because it portrayed the ominous setting that was impending. We thought that the sun symbolized how it would provide heat as well as hope for the father and son, but like a normal lamp, it only supplied light to the grieving earth. Next, we moved onto the questions and Jordan shared his first two and Justin shared his remaining ones. Interestingly, when Jordan had asked us about the term "blood gangs", we knew that they were cannibalistic groups who were so hungry to the point that they inhumanely ate people. The importance of this was that we felt that blood gangs would manifest in the latter parts of the novel. We predicted that this would greatly affect the father and son who are struggling to barely survive on their own. They would probably have to face the mental conflicts as well as the the need to physically conceal themselves from blood gangs. After finishing up the discussion about the first sixty pages of this novel, we talked about how eager we were to know what would happen next to the Papa and son while traveling south. Hopefully, next week's book club will be just as thrilling and illustrative as this one was.

=<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Week 2 (pg 61-120) =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part A - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> On your group's wiki page, discuss the type of language that your book contains. Is it easy to read? Conversational? "Classic"? Does it use a lot of words you don't understand? What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> This book definitely has a very unique language to it. The language is very sad and lonely. It is not necessarily an easy or hard read but it does seem a little dry, on purpose, and depressing. However, the literacy is great in terms of quotes, using great irony and metaphors. It is not the text that is difficult, but the subject that we are reading about may be too mature for a young child, even though it uses basic sentences. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part B - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. "They came to an old iron bridge in the woods where the vanished road had crossed an all but vanished stream" (66). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. "At the top of the hill he turned and studied the town. Darkness coming fast. Darkness and cold" (81). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. "If we were going to die, would you tell me?" (94). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. "On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt" (110). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">5. "He walked down to the end of the loft and looked out the high gable window at the country below, the pieced land dead and gray, the fence, the road" (118). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part C <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. How would you describe the amount of trust that exists between the boy and his father? Do you think the boy can always rely on his father, especially in situations where he claims that he is scared? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The boy trusts his father because he is keeping him alive, but he believes that he doesn’t have the best decisions. For example, when the father told the son that they were going to go in the basement of the house in order to find supplies, the son objected and he had to deal with it. It seems as if the boy doesn’t always trust his father’s decisions but he needs to rely on him in order to survive.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2.What is the symbolic meaning of the fire? The Papa tells his son on page 83 that everything is going to be just fine because they're carrying the fire. Why is this so important? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The fire represents the human spirit and it portrays good morals to keep them alive. The fire provides warmth and that warmth keeps them together.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3. How does the author portray the boy's personality at this point of the story? Has he experienced some change from the beginning? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The boy is seen as a weak character because he is always lacking strength and energy. The boy does not have confidence. This is true because he needs to constantly ask his father questions, so readers can tell that he is not comfortable. The boy has not changed much since the beginning of the story because he is terrified and intimidated by every obstacle that he confronts.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4. The child always asks his father if they are going to die. Do you think that phrase is too overused or do you think that it is crucial in establishing certain events of the story? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The father does not have much to say and he is very quiet. The son, however, is very young and needs to have conversations with his father. Even though his dull question is always repetitive, it is important because it keeps them connected and shows how they are close to dying but just barely making it alive. Nonetheless, later if more tragic events were to occur, the boy would know when to shut his mouth.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5.What has the man primarily taught his son throughout their hardships? Justify your reasoning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The man has taught his son to carry the fire and to always keep his spirits up. He wants his son to eventually know how to be courageous. Also, if the father never comes back, he taught his son to shoot himself because if they both die, they would be able to meet each other one day along with their mother who has died.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part D - Jordan

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jack, Justin, and I had a great discussion today. The main themes were the characters and the mood of the story. We all agreed that the kid is too dependent on the father. He is too scared to do anything and the father, unknown to him, is sick. If the father were to die, then the kid wouldn't be able to fend for himself. Also, he has a very negative attitude towards death. He always thinks that they are going to die. The mood of the book was another topic we discussed during the book club. The author paints a very vivid picture of how gloomy everything is. Also, what people have become with all of the cannibalism and fighting for survival adds to the mood. The quotes chosen by Jack were very meaningful and insightful. After further discussion, we all realized that many of these quotes have more to them than what meets the eye. Many have symbolism, possibly to the mood or how society as a whole has become. The questions chosen by Justin this week were ones like I haven't seen before in book club. He came up with some questions that really make you think. After discussing all of these on top of the quotes, I think that we all had new ideas and thoughts to at least one topic in the book. I can't wait until next week's meeting and what happens in the book next.

= Week 3 (pg 121-180) =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part A - Justin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On your group's wiki page, discuss the mood or tone of your book. What is the overriding emotion of this book? What examples back up your claim? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The mood of the book (from what we read) got less gloomy because the father and son were able to find a storage of food that could last them for more than a few days. They were pleased to find the canned foods and desserts, which made the mood of the characters positive. However, the majority of this book still seems to have overriding feelings of desolation and hopelessness. Whenever the father and son converse, for instance, they talk about when they will perhaps die. In the latest chapters, the old man that met with the father and son complimented the mood of this story because he says that it is better to be alone than with other companions. He believes that things will be better when everyone is gone, portraying a sense of despair.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part B - Jordan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. Hard and brown and shriveled. He wiped it with the cloth and bit into it. Dry and almost tasteless. But an apple. (121) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. He was beginning to think that death was finally upon them and that they should find some place to hide where they would no be found.(129) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. Oh my god, he whispered. Oh my god. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> What is it Papa? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Come down here. Oh my god. Come down here.(138) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. What do I eat first? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Whatever you like. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Is this coffee? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Yes. Here. You put the butter on your biscuits. Like this. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Okay. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Are you alright? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> I don't know.(145) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. When I saw the boy I thought I had died, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> You thought he was an angel? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> I don't know what he was. I never thought to see a child again.I didn't know that would happen.(172)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part C - All of us <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. Should they have stayed in the bunker longer than they did? What would be the positive and negative effects of doing so? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We think as a group that they should have stayed in the bunker for a little longer. There was a lot of food for the two of them, and it would give them the rest needed to continue their journey. There was a lot of food let over in the bunker so i they stayed in the bunker, they would have brought the same amount of food with them. There was enough food there for months, but since they left and couldn't bring everything, now they have a limited supply. Leaving as early as they did though did have some benefits. If they stayed longer, it would be colder outside when they leave. Also, any food on the road would have been taken by other travelers on the road. Another reason why they left early is because the man was scared that someone will find them, but we think that is unlikely. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. Should they have given the old man their food? Should they have let the old man go with them? What do you think will happen to him? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We think it was nice of them to give the old man food. It was a gesture of generosity which doesn't happen too often in that world. Bringing the man with them though would have been a mistake. First of all, he wouldn't be able to keep up with them. Also, he would have eaten more food over time, dwindling their supply faster. We are surprised the old man has made it this far, but we think he will die soon. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. When the boy asks the man what their long term goals would be, the man did not know even though he mentioned it in the past. What do you think their long term goal is? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Their long term goal is to survive and go south, where it is much warmer. Their short term goal is different from this and that is to find food and to live off of it as long as they can, until they reach the south. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. The father and son seem to have trouble determining whether the old man was telling the truth or was lying about everything. How important is it for the boy and the man to know certain truths/characteristics about survivors or it is just insignificant? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">(Jordan) The father and boy should consider every other person they meet as a bad guy. Even though that is the wrong thing to do it is the best for them. They do not need to know the truths about people like the old man because it is likely that the old man will die first before the man and boy somehow ever meet up with him. (Jack) It is important for them to know certain truths because it will give them hope if they find out something positive from the people they encounter. (Justin) Agrees with Jack. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">5. The man seems to be losing his patients with the son because he is not answering his questions. Do you think this is because the man is losing hope? When do you think all hope will be lost, if it is lost at all? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Although the group agrees that the father is losing his patience with the son, he is the still determined to keep the son alive at all costs. Therefore, all hope will be lost when the boy dies, if he does die. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">6. The boy says that he looks really skinny. Do you think this will continue throughout the story to show how hungry the father and son are? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The description of the boy being skinny will probably return in this story, because we definitely haven't reached the darkest point of the story, where maybe the son and father are at the point of almost starving to death. However, even if the boy is skinny, he can still survive.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part D - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This weeks topic in our book club was the mood of the story. Even though our story has been filled with dark and depressive descriptions, it looks like things are getting a little bit brighter for the father and son. They have found a lot of food in a bunker they stayed at, which was a very hopeful sign. However, for the most part the mood is still negative and the father and son have a long way to go before reaching there destination. Jordan had some very good quotes that mentioned hope, and peace. My favorite quote was Hard and brown and shriveled. He wiped it with the cloth and bit into it. Dry and almost tasteless. But an apple. This quote has a lot of symbolism in it because the apple is earth. The Earth may be dark and bad right now, but it is still a planet, and there is still hope for survival. Anyway, Jordan started his first question by asking if the father and son should have stayed in the bunker longer. We agreed that staying in the bunker had both positive and negative affects. The positive affects were that they had a lot of food to eat. They left before eating a lot of the food they had. The negative affects were that the longer they waited the colder it would get. Therefore, we decided the father and son could have stayed in a tiny bit longer. Jordan's second question had to do with an old man in the story. The old man was very sick and he was begging for food. Many people gave the old man food, including the father and son. Jordan's question was should the father and son given the old man food and should they invite him on their journey. We all agreed by saying that because the people on the planet are still kind human beings, they should all give the old man food. However, the man is almost certainly going to die so why should the father and son have to wait for an old man to catch up with them, just to save a life. They could end up killing three lives by waiting for the old man to catch up, especially because the father and son might not even make it south. Justin's first question was about the short and long term plans. Justin and I thought the short term plans were just to survive and the long term plans were to make it to the South. However, Jordan thought the short term plans were to make it the south. This created quite a discussion. Justin's second question had to do with how important the truth is in this story. While, Jordan thinks that the father and son should lie to everybody because they need to save themselves, Justin and I both agreed that by helping people they can save lives, and give hope to the people and the Earth. My two questions were about the dad getting annoyed with the son and the boy starting to be described as skinny. Throughout the story the boy has been asking the father questions like are we gonna die, and the dad would say no. Now the father is getting a little annoyed so I asked the group is the father losing hope. The group responded that if any hope is lost it is only a little, and the father is determined to keep his child alive at all costs. I also asked the group if the description of the boy being skinny might pop up again in the story. They responded by saying that it probably will, but even a skinny kid can survive. We are looking forward to the next book club and reading the next part of "The Road".

= Week 4 (pg 181-240) =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part A - Jordan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On your group's wiki page, discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Some of the themes are the struggle for mere survival, loneliness, and perseverance. All of these are seen at this point of the story and they represent how surviving in the post-apocalyptic era is difficult because the basic provisions and dependence of people to sustain oneself are not present. Loneliness therefore is apparent because the father and son endure to live in isolation, and whenever they seldom encounter others, they need to distinguish who the good guys or bad guys are. Usually, they abandon those they meet and they are kept in solitude. Because of these, the father and son must persevere until they finally reach the south because giving up will only result in a futile journey and immediate death. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Images: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Carrying the fire- The fire represents human goodness and hope. They are the "good guys". Many people in these times have resorted to cannibalism, murder, and stealing. These two though, have hope to carry on human goodness and civilized manor. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Pistol- The pistol can be seen as positive and negative. It can be good because it is this main source of defense. This is their last line of protection against any "bad guys" that come around. It is also negative because it is their last resort. The man told the boy in the beginning of the book how to kill himself with it if anything goes wrong. Also, there is only one bullet left. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Cart- The cart is more than just something they use to carry items. It is like a third party member in their group. Whenever something bad is going to happen, they hide the cart. If you have a lot of supplies and no way to bring them with you, what is the point of having all of it if you need to keep on moving?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part B- Jordan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. "I was crying. But you didn't wake up. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> I'm sorry. I was just so tired. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> I meant in the dream." (183) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. "What the boy had seen was a charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit." (198) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. "He started to call to the boy where he trudged ahead and then he looked about at the gray country and the gray sky and he dropped the coin and hurried on to catch up." (204) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. "They ate slowly out of china bowls, sitting at opposite sides of the table with a single candle burning between them. The pistol lying to hand like another dining implement." (209) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">5. "Like the desolation of some alien sea breaking on the shores unheard of." (215)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part C - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. Why does the father's fever really hurt the two's chances of survival? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The father is the only person who knows how to survive. If he gets sick, the boy will be useless in taking care of himself. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. Do you think the father and son made the right decision on hiding off the road to see if someone was following them, even though it was just three men and a pregnant woman? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> It was a good idea because that is what they doing the whole story. They could not take the chance tat the people they were hiding from could have been bad guys. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. What was good and bad about the house the father and son stayed at? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The house was mostly a good idea because there was plenty of food. The only bad thing about the house was the fear of going upstairs. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. Why do you think the father let the son swim in the ocean? What was the reason he did not want the son to swim in the ocean? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The father knew the son was very excited about the ocean, and he was kind of disappointed that the ocean was not blue. The son is still a kid so the father let him enjoy swimming in the ocean. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">5. Was it a good decision for the father to get naked in order to get on the ship? Why or why not? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> It was a good idea because they got important supplies from the ship, even though he had to swim across the ocean in the freezing cold.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part D - Justin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Book Club was very insightful today because most of the book was unraveling and many of the themes were evident. First we examined the themes and images of this book. There were, in fact, many themes that were seen such as the struggle for survival, loneliness, perseverance, and the father-son relationship. Many of the images were vital things the father and son relied on for their struggle to survive. They were the pistol, the cart, and "carrying the fire." When either one of these things were not by their side, the father and son had to attain them. For example, the son forgot to get the pistol from the beach, and the father had asked him to retrieve it because of its importance. Next, Jordan's quotes were analyzed. All of them were in relation to the father and son. One notable quote was "What the boy had seen was a charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit." (198) This quote tied back to an earlier event when cannibalism was revealed and how people ate other humans out of desperation. Another significant quote was when the father and son were eating out of china bowls, which was the advantage of exploring the house. For a few days they were able to live normally and the house was like a temporary haven until food ran out. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Last, our group answered Jack's questions, which were meaningful. We know that the father is gradually suffering more from his sickness the symptoms attacking his body. This was important to note because it foreshadows how later the father could die, leaving the boy single-handed and in misery. Therefore, it will be important for the son to use the knowledge he gained from his father to live independently. Also, the part about the boy being able to swim in the ocean was a thrill for him because it would probably would be the last time to feel happy, knowing that his father has a greater probability of death than life. Even though the circumstances were grim, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">the kid was fond of the opportunity to swim.

= Week 5 (pg 241- end) =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part A - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. On your group's wiki page, discuss your final reflections on this book. Was there a moral or ultimate message to the text? Would you recommend the text to peers? Why or why not? Has this topic been discussed more/less effectively in another book or books? Should this book be considered for the school's curriculum? Will this book go down in history as an "all-time classic" or will it be quickly forgotten? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The moral in this story is that there is always hope, and that you always have to persevere, even if you are down. This book is not the first book we would recommend because it was too depressing and boring. This book is a post-apocalyptic book that was more realistic than any other book we have read, including World War Z. This book should not be considered for school's curriculum because the book just was not good enough. It probably will not go down as an all time classic because the author could have done a better job within the text.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part B - Jack <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. "'Come on man, I'll die.' <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 'I'm going to leave you the way you left us.'" (257). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. "'You don't have any happy ones?' <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 'Thy are more like real life.'" (268) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. "'Where is it i don't know where it is.' <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 'Yes you do. It's inside you. It was always there. I can see it.'" (279) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. "He closed his eyes and talked to him and he kept his eyes closed and listened. Then he tried again." (280) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">5. "When he came back he knelt beside his father and held his cold hand and said his name over and over again." (281)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part C - Justin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. Was it fair that the father stripped the man who stole all of their belongings and left him alone naked? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jordan- It was not fair that the father stripped the man because the thief would now end up dying. The father should have left the thief with a few provisions because there is enough death taking place and if the thief dies, circumstances would not become better. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jack- It was fair that the father took the thief's belongings because it was really in the ownership of the Papa and boy, so if the thief stole their things, it is fair to get their possessions back. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. During the scene when the Papa got shot with the arrow, what did it reveal about his character? Is he brave? Also, should he have launched the flare at the man upstairs? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Papa is brave, but the reason why he took the shot by the arrow was to save his son. It shows that he completely wants to keep his son alive. It was good that the Papa launched the flare at the man as well because it was unjust for the man upstairs to shoot the arrow at the Papa to begin with. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3. On page 268, the boy mentions that he does not have any stories to share to his Papa because they all do not conclude with a happy ending. Why do you think he said that? Has the boy gone through complete wretchedness or has he had moments of happiness as well? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The boy has gone through some happy moments with his father, besides the times when they are in desperation. The boy should have some stories to tell to his Papa such as the time when the Papa gave him toys and the can of coke, but the son is not willing to share these moments because he has been surrounded by too much despair. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4. What kind of emotions do you think ran through the boy's mind when his Papa died? Also, is the boy ready to face challenges without his Papa? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The boy was very sad when his Papa died and he cried for several days. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jack- The boy is not ready to face challenges with the Papa because he is not too well equipped. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jordan- The boy is ready to continue his journey south as long as he is with the man who has the shotgun. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. If this book was to continue its story, would the boy end up surviving with the stranger he met at the end? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jack - They would not survive because they do not have a permanent shelter and will need to search around for many provisions. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Jordan and Justin - They would survive because the son would heed his father's advice about carrying the fire.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Part D - Jordan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This was the last book club for this marking period. //The Road// wasn't a very popular book in out group. Both Jack, Justin, and me a little bit, thought it was too dry. There were suspenseful parts, like when they found the people in the basement, but they were few and far between. I personally thought the book was alright. It had a lot of symbolism and the descriptions and details made me feel like I was actually there. I was the only one in the group that saw the movie beforehand. I watched it with my dad because he read the book. I recommended the book in the first place to my group because my dad read it. I found out later that he didn't like it... woops. Anyway, as group, we thought this book had potential. It had great ideas and a good plot line, but it could have been put together better. We felt like the book was very choppy. Long parts of them just walking in the road talking, broken up by a sudden, suspenseful scene. Some of the quotes chosen for this week were very meaningful. The last one, as an example, was not only touching, but ironic. We never got to know either the boy's or the father's names. The third quote though, I thought was the best. It was about the boy carrying the fire for when the father dies. It was on of the last conversations the two of them had, and I think, it will be what keeps the boy going and giving him hope for as long as he lives. The first of the questions was controversial in our group. I personally thought that leaving the man to die wasn't right. I understand what he did to them was wrong, but they should have at least let him keep his clothes and just take his supplies. I forget whether it was Jack or Justin who said this, but it is survival of the fittest, and in order to survive, they have to do anything necessary. This week was a great discussion, and a great way to end our second book club.