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The End of the World
For some unknown reason, the world ends. McCarthy clues us in a little bit. We know that the world is left covered by ash. We know that the world was burning and on fire. Whether the world ended by a solar flare, a nuclear war, or something else, we don't know. McCarthy leaves that bit up to our own imaginations. This event launches the book, and is very crutial. -
The Boy is Born
The mother gives birth to her son during the apoclypse. She regrets giving birth to him because she doesn't want to bring her son into a corrupt world. This event initiates the concept of whether it is worth bringing new life into a corrupt world. -
The Woman's Death
Through flashbacks, the reader knows that the man's wife is dead. She commited suicide by slicing her wrists with a sharp object. She did it because she didn't think that life was worth living anymore. They were just running around from those who would eat them. She also did it to leave them with two bullets so the man and the boy could kill themselves if the time came. This event shows us why the man is so untrusting and skeptical of others. -
The Beginning of the Book
When the book begins, the world has ended, covering the world in ash. The man and the boy are wondering through the wilderness, sacavenging for food and suplies. This event introduces us to our main characters and is crutial in setting up the book. -
First Encounter with Others
This event is very important because it's the first time we come across a human in this book.A truck stops near where the man and the boy are sleeping. One of the guys from the truck wonders into the woods when the man points the pistol at him and threatens to kill him. The guy appears very calm about it, and offers for them to join him and the others on the truck. The man does not let up. The guy grabs the boy and holds a knife to his neck, so the man shoots the guy and the man and the boy run. -
The Cannibals Continued
They run from the house. Once they are a good distance from the house, they hid in the snow. The man gives the boy the pistol with the last shot and orders the boy to kill himself before the cannibals can get him. However, the cannibals don't find them. The man and the boy continue on down the road. This event is another time where the father contemplates whether he should let the boy live or kill the boy to save him from suffering a horrible fate. -
The Cannibals
After fleeing from the first human encounter they've had since the book began, the man and boy return to their cart. They find it looted, with everything gone. They continue down the road. Soon they are starving. They happen upon a house and the boy warns his father against going inside. However, his starving father breaks into the house and opens the pantry, only to find it filled with humans who are being eaten by cannibals. This gruesome event introduces the reader to the theme of cannibalism -
The Bunker
The man finds an abandoned farmhouse along the road. After discovering fresh water and apples from the orchard, the man discovers an underground bunker filled with food. Not only does it house food, but also beds, a functioning bathroom, and other supplies that will come in handy. They rest there for a few days of bliss, but the man remembers the danger they are in. They stock up on supplies before abandoning the bunker. This event gives the reader hope. It shows that not everything is desolent. -
Meeting Ely
The man and the boy meet an old man in the road. The boy begs his father to give him food. Finally, the man caves. The boy offers the man some of their food, and he devours it. The boy asks Ely to eat dinner with them, so he does. Later, the man and Ely talk about religion and how life has been since the apoclypse. The next day, Ely leaves them, and they continue down the road. The boy is upset because he knows that Ely is going to die. Ely plants the idea that the boy might represent Christ. -
Roasting the Baby
The man and the boy discover that three men and a pregnant woman are following them. They hide out and observe them. The man wants to get closer and see what they are doing. The boy warns him against it, but the man ignores him. Once the man is sure that they have left, he goes into the woods, only to find a baby roasting over a spit, headless and gutted. The boy is extremely upset and doesn't speak for days. Once again, this event shows how horrible this world really is. -
The South
They finally reach the South. They have been journeying to this location throughout the entire book. The man, who hoped the sea was blue, finds the sea a dull grey, just like everything else. The man loots a nearby house and boat, both abandoned. The boy plays in the water and returns shivering and crying. The man wraps him in a blanket as they spend their first night in the South. This event is vitol since it shows them finally reaching their destination. -
The Thief
The man and the boy wander down the beach. In their absence, the cart vanishes. The track down the thief, and the man takes back the cart. He also steals the thief's clothes and shoes in order to leave him as he left them: with nothing. The boy cries and begs his father not to steal from him. The man ignores the boy. This event is important because it shows the boy's tender heart and his naive wisdom. It also shows how untrusting the man is. -
The Archman
The man and that boy go into town to scavenge for food. A man in one of the houses spot them and begins to fire arrows at them. The man shields his son with his body, and ends up getting struck in the leg. He cleans the wound and stiches it up. However, given the condition the man is already in, it doesn't appear that the man is going to last much longer. This event is important because it is the beginning of the end for the man. -
The Man's Death
The man's coughing grows steadily worse. He continues to cough up bloody phlegm. The man knows he is dying. He gives final instructions to his son, telling him to continue to "carry the fire" since they are the "good guys." The man sleeps for one more night. When the boy wakes up, his father is stiff, cold, and death. This event is so important because it shows the end of the father's journey. -
The End of the Book
The boy comes across a man who has been following them. The boy asks him if he is one of the "good guys," to which the man answers yes. He has a wife and two kids, and they take the boy with them. This event marks the end of the book and shows the hopefulness that the last few paragraphs possess.
