/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.1444854]

Read it, loved it, thinking about it...

I had a question about the man, the boy, and their interactions with "Ely."(It starts at around page 161 for me)

They talked about some deep stuff - being the last man alive, the child being god, and I really couldn't tell what the importance of this scene was. Call me shallow, but I thought it was a reference to Elijah (the prophet), even though he's pretty much the anti-prophet.

but what did you get out of this interaction? What's the significance? I'm focused mostly on Eli i guess, since he's only there for a short while, but what did /lit/ think? about Eli or any of the other characters in this encounter?

[Anonymous No.1444864]

McCarthy has used religious reference in his work before, good of you to sniff that one out.

I really wouldn't read too much into it. The book is a lark and a gift more than any kind of profound statement. Some people just happen to be good at and eloquent about copping bible vibes.

Unless you're a lit grad: In which case I guess you could apply any number of theories that you want to it. But that has more to do with the references you're going to cite than the book itself.

[Anonymous No.1444875]

>>1444864

haha okay, but what if I were to ask if this interaction between the three were playing some sort of significance in the story itself, and not necessarily some deep underlying message?

for example, what this scene might tell us about the development of these characters; or about the function of this scene within the greater plot?

for some reason this scene piqued my interest.. it was short and pretty mundane, but especially when he said something like "there is no god and we are his prophets.." or "if something had happened and we were survivors and we met on the road then we'd have something to talk about. But we're not. So we don't."

He speaks in riddles, dammit. :(

[Anonymous No.1444896]

>>1444875
Wow, I don't know really. I don't have a copy handy so I can't refresh myself. Ely is the one that was near blind, pretty close to the same time they encountered the roasting fire isn't he? I have to admit I kind of gelled into reading the book as more or less episodic. To me the characters didn't become any more or less involved past seventy pages. The only interesting or noticeable character development that I saw change was the fathers internal monologue with and dreams of his wife.

I'm from the standpoint that the book is a pessimistic one, the growth of the characters (or even that "flame" if you will) are dwarfed under the futility of global extinction. So if he (Eli) says something along the lines of "we're not" in regards to being a survivor I chalk it up to the overall message that while people still roam the Earth they will NOT be doing so much longer.

[Anonymous No.1444905]

I used to vehemently knock McCarthy on /lit/ until I realised he's something like 80 and almost dead.

It changes everything, really. I'm glad for his success and I'm glad his stories make people glad.

I personally hate the trite little fuckers.

[Anonymous No.1444909]

>>1444896

Yup, Ely is the old man who they found hobbling on a cane who thought that they were robbers.. and he just gave them the name Ely to keep himself out of trouble :/

He said things like he thought the child was an angel, and when the father asked him "what if he was god?" (the child)

Ely said: "I'm past all that now. Have been for years. Where men cant live gods fare no better. You'll see. It's better to be alone. So I hope that's not true what you said because to be on the road with the last god would be a terrible thing so I hope it's not true. Things will be better when everybody's gone."

Truly the anti prophet lol

but yes, out of all of the nameless characters in the book, he seemed the most interesting to me - interesting, but easily forgotten :/

[Anonymous No.1444951]

>>1444909

> interesting, but easily forgotten :/

Haven't thought too much about it, but that could well be the meaning of the scene.
Eli seems wise as fuck, just as the father hints at some kind of medical profession, likely a doctor or surgeon. Despite this we know for certain they'll be dead before long.
It could be a sort of meditation on the importance of knowledge.

The god comment could be about the need to reject hope and purpose in a hope- and purposeless world that the dad also thinks about in reference to his dreams.

I've only read it though, haven't analyzed it at all.