The Road Final Essay Assignment

Now that we have finished reading some significant works of literature, its time to do some
writing. You will be writing one of the following essays that analyzes a facet of The Road.

Requirements:
500-600 words (just over two pages)
Written in formal voice
No personal pronouns (with the exception of parts of essay #2)
Sophisticated language and approach
You will be graded on ideas/analysis, word choice, grammar/conventions, and sentence
fluency
Option #1 Using characterization, symbolism, and evidence from each text, compare and
contrast the journeys undertaken by characters in both The Road and The Odyssey. Then
consider a journey that people take today that might also be considered a heros journey.
How does this real life journey compare to those portrayed in the two works of fiction you
analyzed?
Option #2 Using evidence from any text read this semester, analyze how every action in
life has a reaction or consequence. Then, relate the evidence you gathered to your own life
and the choices you make or will make.
Option #3 What have the texts we have read this semester taught you about
perseverance, courage, and hope? Make a claim related to your attitude on each topic, and
use evidence gathered from each text to support your claim.
Option #4 Use the article we read over the biology of heroism (What Makes a Hero? from
Discover) to analyze the behavior of both Odysseus and the man in The Road. How does
science explain the actions of these characters? If you choose this option, you will be
required to find one more source that supports your argument.
Option #5 The Road has often been praised as an important work of environmentalism
(advocacy of the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment;
especially : the movement to control pollution). Write an essay that supports this point of
view.
Option #6 Dealers choice. Develop your own idea for an essay. You will have to get your
idea approved by me.
The rough draft of this paper will be due on Friday, November 13. Final drafts and
publication on your website must be completed by Friday, November 20. We will discuss
the publication to your website as we get closer to the ultimate due date.

DIRECTIONS:
You must write your essay within this very document.
Go to Insert and select Page Break (or just hit ctrl + enter)
Format your paper correctly and begin writing

 Give your paper a title and be sure to indicate in your papers title what option youve
chosen

Have you noticed that every choice you make has a reaction that follows it? Even the
simplest decisions you make everyday affect you in some way. The Road and The Odyssey are
action books. They contain many tricky situations in which the main character has to make a big
decision, and for the most part, without much thought. Impulsive decisions can have a negative
or positive outcome. Sometimes it all depends on if youre lucky or not. In The Road by Cormac
McCarthy and The Odyssey by Homer, the characters face many challenges; with every choice
the characters made there was a consequence, these consequences affected them, and others with
them, forever.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus led himself and his crew on some wild journeys due to the
choices he made. When they landed on the Land of the Cyclops, Odysseus couldnt help himself,
he had to see if the cyclops was real. Dragging his protesting crew with him, they went into the
cyclops den. Shortly after they arrived, the cyclops came. Proving that he was real and vicious,
he ate many of Odysseus men. (Homer pg. 898-912) While Odysseus seemed unbothered by
this, his choice to feed into his curiosity bothered others. Odysseus consequences to his actions
outweigh the satisfaction he gets from beating the cyclops. After the incident he ultimately has
less crew members and the crew members he does have doubt him. By being selfish to his own
pride, he risked other people's lives. This makes Odysseus not only look bad, but also lead others
to doubt his capabilities as a leader.

In The Road, the man and the boys choices are amplified. One bad choice could lead
them to great suffering and eventually, death. When the man decided, against the boy's pleading,
to go into the basement of the creepy house, they both paid for it. By seeing all the bodies in

waiting to be eaten, and by almost getting caught in the house, they were scarred. (McCarthy pg.
110-112) Physically tired and starving, emotionally bruised and weak, going into the house hurt
them more than they needed. This applying specifically to the boy. Feeling sympathy for the
people, he felt guilty about leaving them there to die. He also began to wonder if he and his
father were actually one of the good guys. After the incident the boy said,
We wouldnt ever eat anybody, would we?
No. Of course not.
No matter what?
No. No matter what.
Because were the good guys.
Yes. (McCarthy pg. 128-129) The man and boys desperation led them to an endless circle of
doubt.

There are other possible outcomes for the man and the boy in The Road. One good choice
could lead them to prosper. One rewarding choice they made was digging up the bunker.
Although going against what the boy wanted, the man persisted. Full of food, toiletries, and other
essentials, this gave them several more weeks to live. (McCarthy pg. 138-141) If they hadnt
risked seeing something horrible in the bunker, such as the people in the creepy house, they
wouldnt have lived another day to find the food they needed. This choice was rewarding to the
man and the boy, but it was also very risky.

I feel like the choices people make depend on what situation they are in. As well as how
they process events. For example its a Thursday night and I have no homework except an essay
thats due on Monday. Do I use the opportunity to get work done tonight, or wait until the

weekend? Some would say get it done now so I dont have to worry about it over the weekend.
But in my case, I work better when Im under pressure. This choice will affect me later because I
will not have as much time to relax over the weekend, but I will get quality work done. I feel like
this situation somewhat pertains to the examples in The Road and The Odyssey. There was a
high risk high reward factor when it comes to the choices they made everyday. Our decisions
affect everything that happens in the future, just on a much smaller level.

After reading these books and analyzing them very closely, Ive come to understand the
deeper meanings in both stories. Ive learned that the choices the characters make can be very
thought out or spontaneous, and the consequences can be hurtful, rewarding, or even just lucky.
In The Road and The Odyssey all of the characters choices have consequences, just like ours do
everyday.

Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. The Language of Literature. Arthur N. Applebee. Evanston, IL: McDougal
Littell, 2002. 894-964. Print.

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.