![]() If he is a prophet, he is a prophet only of the final act of destruction, not of some good on the other side of it. He'll say: Where did everybody go? And that's how it will be" (146). He'll be out in the road there with nothing to do and nobody to do it to. He says, "When we're all gone at last then there'll be nobody here but death and his days will be numbered too. In Ely's conversation with the man, however, he personifies death. Perhaps this is another allusion to the Bible and the figure of Elijah, letting us entertain the interpretation of the mysterious Ely on the road as a prophet, much like other traditional prophet-like old men. In The Road, when some part or the major part of the catastrophe occurs, the man notices that all of the clocks have stopped at 1:17. Maybe Ely chose the name because of its similarity to “Elijah.” Also, Elijah is first introduced in the Bible in 1 Kings 17:1. In the novel, this figure could be the boy, although Ely denies that the boy could be a god. In biblical references, Elijah signifies the coming of the Messiah, the savior who will bring people out of their suffering. Various clues point to the conclusion that the character of Ely, the only named figure in The Road (though he claims this is not his true name), is an allusion to Elijah the prophet. Even then, his son must work hard to persuade him to trust Ely enough to help him. While the boy wants to help everyone, the father, hardened by reality, needs a greater measure of security before opening himself to helping others. The father seems to be feeling relatively rich with resources, quite the opposite of the way he felt when he was losing hope. Perhaps because Ely looks too old and weak to be a threat, the father lets down his guard and even lets Ely camp with them for the night. The man finally succumbs to the boy’s goodhearted desire to help others. Finally, the man is able to rise and survey their surroundings from the top of the hill. He dreams of his previous life before the world’s destruction. They remain in one place for several days as the father waits out his sickness. The father becomes ill with a bad fever, which frightens the boy greatly. The father brandishes his pistol, attempting to look like an experienced killer, and continues on his way with the boy. Later, they encounter three men, armed with pipes, who ask them what they have in their cart. The man and the child have a conversation about whether his son believes what he says. The man misunderstands and thinks his son is speaking of the present. He has dreamt that he was crying and the man would not wake up. One night, the boy has a bad dream and wakes up his father. At one stop, the man examines his maps and determines that they are approximately two to three weeks away from reaching the sea. One day, the boy discovers an abandoned train, which they explore. For weeks, they travel as the landscape remains unrelentingly brutal. ![]() The boy realizes this mistake, though the father pretends it is his own fault. He discovers that their tank with oil has leaked, since the boy forgot to turn both valves shut. The man’s cough worsens as they continue to travel. The next morning, the man and the boy-after some argument-give Ely some food and part ways with him. He’ll be out in the road with nothing to do and nobody to do it to” (145-146). “When we’re all gone at last then there’ll be nobody here but death and his days will be numbered too. Ely rejects this idea and insists that it will be better when all humans are dead. The man replies, “What if I said that he’s a god?” (145). ![]() ![]() There is no God and we are his prophets” (143).Įly does not consider people like themselves to be survivors, and he admits that he was surprised when he saw the little boy. “Nobody wants to be here and nobody wants to leave…. Ely has an extensive conversation with the man about the state of the world. He claims to be ninety years old in order to protect himself from the bad guys-a tactic Ely admits does not always work. The old man claims his name is Ely, though he later says this is not his true name. He tells his son they cannot keep the old man, but the child convinces his father to let them camp the night with the old man and give him a proper dinner. The father allows the boy to give a tin of fruit to the old man. The boy convinces his father to give the old man something to eat. “He looked like a pile of rags fallen off a cart” (137). They follow him to determine whether he is a decoy for an ambush. Section 6 extends from page 136 to page 158.Īhead of them, the protagonists see a man slowly shuffling down the road. ![]()
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