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The End of the World
The world ended in fire. Billions of people died. This event is important because this is what started the whole story. People had to learn how to survive starvation, cannibals, and exposure. -
The Birth of the Boy
(Page 59) "A few nights later she gave birth in their bed by the light of a drycell lamp" (McCarthy 59). The man's wife gave birth to their son in their own bed. This event is important because if the man didn't have the boy, he would have killed himself by now. He would have nothing to live for. -
The Man's Wife Kills Herself
(Page 58) "She was gone and the coldness of it was her final gift" (McCarthy 58). After the event that led to the "end of the world", the man's wife quickly gave up hope. She tried to persuade the man to kill their son and himself along with her. He refused, and she sliced her wrist with obsidian. This event is important because it shapes the man and his son. Suicide is always in the back of the man's mind. -
The Bodies in the Barn
"Inside the barn three bodies hanging from the rafters"(McCarthy 17). While searching for food and supplies, the boy and the man see three dried bodies hanging from the rafters. The boy insists that they stay and search for supplies, but the man says they need to leave. This event is important because it shows how the boy seems to have become numb to gory scenes like these. No matter how hard the man tries to maintain his son's inocence, it is impossible in this death-ridden world. -
Bodies in the Truck
(Page 47) "Human bodies. Sprawled in every attitude. Dried and shrunken in their rotted clothes" (McCarthy 47). While traveling South, the man and the boy found a truck that was full of decaying, dead bodies. This is segnificant to the story because it gives an example of all the death and destruction that runs rampant in this world. -
The Man Struck by Lightening
(Page 50) During their travels, the man and the boy encounter a man that has been struck by lightening. His skin is black and smoking. The man is obviously not going to survive without help. The boy insists on helping him, but his father won't allow it. This event is important because it shows how caring the boy is; he will put anyone before himself. He is a true "good guy". His father, on the other hand, is just worried about survival. -
Throwing Away the Picture
(Page 51) "...sat holding the photograph. Then he laid it down in the road also and then he stood and they went on" (McCarthy 51). The man finally took out his old billfold and sorted through it. When he found an old picture of his wife, he took it out, looked at it for a while, and then set it in the road and left. This event is showing that the man is moving on and letting go of all of the anger and sadness over the death of his wife. -
The Men with the Truck
(Page 66) While hiding from a convoy, a straggler finds them and confronts them. He threatens the boy, and the man shoots and kills him. "The man fell back instantly and lay with blood bubbling from the hole in his forehead" (McCarthy 66). This event is important to the plot because it shows that the man is willing to kill for his son. Also when shooting the man, the father uses one of the only two bullets he has left. This is very significant because now they can't kill themselves if needed. -
The Little Boy and the Dog
(Page 82) While the man and the boy are scavenging the town for food and supplies, the boy claims to see another little boy and a dog. He is obsessed with trying to find and rescue them. This event is relevant to the plot because it demonstrates the boy's caring spirit. -
The People in the Basement
(Page 110) "Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and femal, all trying to hide" (McCarthy 110). The man and the boy came across a large house while traveling on the road. While exploring the house, they come across a hatch. The father pries it open, and in the basement there were live people with their limbs cut off being used for food. This event is important because it puts emphasis on the savagery that has infected the world. -
The Bunker of Food
(Page 138) After searching an abandoned house for food, the man finds an underground bunker that is full of all sorts of food and supplies. It is a haven for the man and the boy. This event is very important because the man and his son probably would have starved to death if they hadn't found this bunker. It represented hope for them. -
Ely
(Page 162) After leaving the bunker, the man and the boy come across an old man on the road. The boy wants to take care of hm and give him food, but his father won't allow it. The father consented to feeding the man one meal. The man they found was named Ely. This event is important because of the conversation between the man and Ely. The man says his son is so good and so sweet, that he might as well be a god. -
The Ocean
(Page 216) After months and months of traveling, the man and the boy eventually reach the coast. It is no longer blue, but gray. They find a wrecked ship and scavenge it for food and other supplies. This event is important because it was a happy time for the man and the boy. They had reached their goal, and this changed the mood of the book. -
The Cart Thief
(Page 253) While they are staying on the beach, a man steals their cart full of food and all their supplies. The man hunts the thief down and makes him take off his clothes and shoes. The boy crys and begs his father to give the thief back his things. This event is relevant because it demonstrates how cruel the father can be when he feels it is necessary. It also shows how the boy is always caring and puts others before himself. -
The Man Dies
(Page 281) The man is sick fo the majority of the story with an unknown illness. He finally passes away. At first, the young boy thinks he is now on his own in the world. Then, an old man approaches him and says he and his family have been following the man and the boy for a long time. They take him in. This final event is significant to the story because this family offers hope to the boy. He is safe now.
