The Roadrat

 

What element of foreshadowing is employed in this section and why?	The boy’s toy truck foreshadows the coming of the men and their truck. “The truck tooled along slowly.” This directly mimics the movement of the truck that appears and the inevitability of its appearance. Structurally in the novel these are the first other people met and they pose a large threat to the man and the boy, this helps to create tension and suspense.
What does the description of the men teach us about them?	The appearance of the men is very menacing and implies that they are a threat to the man and the boy. They are dressed in “canister masks” and one in a “biohazard suit” which both looks threatening but is another suggestion that there is something wrong with the air. This is brought up as they are “coughing” just like the man. The equipment appears to be very specialist however the weapons; “clubs in their hands, lengths of pipe” shows they are not completely equipped. The description of the men “shuffling” and “casting their hooded heads from side to side” is similar to the creature dreamt of at the start that “swung its head from side to side” making the men look like animals.
McCarthy describes the truck as “Lumbering and creaking like a ship.” Why?	The ship could be reference to Noah’s Ark however instead of being a symbol of salvation it is a threat to the man and the boy. It also shows how disjointed this world is, the ship on the road doesn’t fit and neither do the men.
Why does McCarthy describe the Road Rat in such detail	The description fits into the low culture reference in the book and is over the top in some instances such as the “blood bubbling from the hole.” It could also be interpreted as mimicking the man’s reaction to the threat as he watches the Road rat. The Road rat is a significant character, being the first person the man and boy have met face to face in the story.

Why is the Road Rat’s character so explicit whilst the man is so implicit?

The free indirect speech used in this section as the man takes control of the situation. The man therefore is more explicit about what he is seeing and not focusing on himself.

What do we learn about the man through his exchanges with the Road Rat?

An enigma surrounding the man’s past is formed as he shoot the man. Prior to this he talks about the impact of a bullet on the man’s brain so that ‘they’ll just be soup’. This is very detailed and while the man doesn’t confirm that he’s a doctor it does suggest that he had a specialised job. The way he shoot also suggests this as he manages to hit the man in the head, and missing his son, while turning which suggests training.

“A single round left in the revolver. You will not face the truth. You will not” Who is the man echoing here? How do you believe these words are uttered?

The woman is echoed here as she earlier said ‘you wont face it.’ And ‘you have two bullets left.’ The idea that the bullets were to protect them and also to kill them along with the woman’s voice shows here the temptation of death. The words appear to be said in a tone of disgust and anger towards the man.

Why don’t the other men chase after the boy and the man following the shooting

Later in the story the man and boy find the remains of the roadrat, ‘the bones and the skin’ that show the cannibalism that the group have resorted to. This is one reason why the men didn’t chase the man and boy. However the group would have not known that the man and boy only had a pistol and may not have chased in fear of being shot themselves especially seeing as they were only armed with clubs and pipes.

It is not until page 77 that the man finally cleans the “gore” and “dead mans brains” from the boy’s face. Why?

In the world the novel is set in being clean is not a priority. Instead the man focuses on food and warmth and makes sure that they are secure before he washes the boy.