My Favorite Website!!

My favorite website is called Gives Me Hope.  It's a site where you can go to and either post about something or someone that gives you hope, or you can simply read through all the other posts.  The site is so sweet and inspiring that I've spent hours reading all the posts made by all the other people like me.  An example of a post that I really liked was...

While I was at work, a dust storm blew through my town and covered my car in a thick coating of dirt.

When I got off and went to my car, I saw a homeless man with a bottle of windex and paper towels cleaning my windows. I asked him why and he smiled and told me, "Your car should be as pretty as you."
That old man GMH.

I've never actually posted anything on the site, I just find it amazing to read and be inspired by. 

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 230-287

The man brought in some neccessary items from the boat they spotted in the water.  After the scare from when the boy was sick, and they had left the cart for only a while, they came back to where the cart had been to find it stolen.  Quickly, they tracked the thief to as far as he had gotten and the man stopped him with the threat of his pistol.  The theif was abandoned there without the cart and without his clothing. 

In my opinion, the man should have had a little compassion and left the theif with his own belongings.  That decision had a bad outcome for the theif (obviously), and for the boy as well, who was angered with his father for "killing him".

As they walked on, they saw someone in a house pointing a bow and arrow.  The man protected the boy, and in the process got an arrow shot into his leg.  He used the first aid kit they'd found to stitch up the bleeding wound, but progressively he grew weaker. 

They kept going until the man could not go anymore.  He lied down and soon after, passed on.  But before he did, he told the boy that he must continue to carry the fire.  The boy cried for three days until a man came along the road.  The boy was alarmed but the man said that it was alright and that he could come with him.  At first, the boy was hesitant, but the man explained to him that he was one of the "good guys" and that he had a family, the boy agreed to go with him.  He said his last goodbyes to his father and then went on, to carry the fire, I'm sure.    

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 185-230

The man and boy keep walking towards the coast.  But they've quick run out of the food they took from their place of refuge.  During a rainstorm, they stopped to sleep and when the man woke up he was sick.  The boy was very afraid that the man was going to die, because he kept coughing up blood, but the man was quite reassuring. 

They came across a town where there were people-burned to death, and laying in the middle of the road, charred.  The man told the boy not to look, but the boy said that it was okay.  I've noticed that the boy is growing up more and more each time I read.  The thing is though, it isn't because he wants to, or should for that matter. 

They both thought somebody was following them, so they hid their trash and themselves then watched.  The boy fell asleep, but when the three men and a pregnant women passed, the man was wide awake.  The morning after, they kept going and saw a fire so they waited.  After the people had left, they went over to the fire to see what had been cooking, but found nothing but a dead and gutted infant.  That horrible sight is one the little boy had to see. 

After endless days of walking, they finally reach the coast, but it is nothing that either of them expected.  The water wasn't blue, the dark hadn't lifted, and there was no thriving of life.  Instead the water was grey and the beach lifeless.  They are wondering now where they should go or what they should do.  I'm quite curious as well... 

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 130-185

The man and the boy continued on their "quest" to reach the coast.  As they moved on past the house where they encountered the cannibals, things began to take a turn for the better.  The days didn't get any warmer and the nights were darker than black but they pushed on. 

Soon after, they find a storage room, or a cellar.  The boy is afraid to see what is inside but the man convinced him that it was necessary.  Once inside they discover that the cellar has all the essentials needed to survive such as food, clothing, bedding and much more.  The man and the boy take refuge there for a couple more days than they had planned, then with all the food they could carry they set off.
I found it quite interesting when the boy was very hesitant to eat the food or use any of the essentials they had found.  Before eating any of the food, he said a quick prayer to the people that left all those things.  Children are all innocent, even those who live in horrible conditions.   

A little farther down the road, they come across a very old man.  The old man seems close to death but the young boy insists that they feed him anyways.  Reluctantly, the father agrees and lets the old man to join them for dinner.  At their departure, the old man felt no obligation to thank the boy or the man, claiming that it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. 
In my opinion, they shouldn't have given the old man the food to begin with.  That ungrateful old man.

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 33-130

I kept meaning to take a break from reading to write an entry in this blog, but I got so lost in the book!  Even though the first part of the book started out a little slow...it has gotten quite better in my opinion.  I'm not sure if this is a coincidence or not, but I always seem to read this book at night when the lights are off with a flashlight.  I shouldn't do that though, because it's actually somewhat scary and graphic at times.

 The man and boy are still traveling but conditions aren't getting any better for them.  The snow hasn't stopped falling and they have eaten the last of their food.  They had a cart with all their belongings (or what was left of them), but when they came across "the bad guys", as the man described to the boy, they were forced to leave their cart and run.  Earlier, I had said that the boy seemed rather mature for his age, but I think I've changed my mind.  Living on the verge of death, is not a way to live at all.  This boy, though, is being forced to do so.  He has been exposed to many things, which leads to him wondering about them and asking questions.  The man tries his best to protect him, and does a fine job of it, but at the same time the boy cannot help but be scared.   

The most traumatic part of the book so far, is when the man and boy come across a house that has many essentials for living, so they look around.  When they open the door to the basement they see faces of people in desperation and voices calling out for help.  I can't imagine seeing that, especially as a young child.      

Just figured this out..

So apparently there already is a movie made of the book The Road.  And it seems that I'm the only one who didn't know that. Ha.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy pg.1-33

First thing's first.  Im wondering what Mrs. McCarthy was thinking when she named her son Cormac.  Its a very interesting choice, I'm simply curious what it means or where it came from. 

Cormac McCarthy's writing style seems fairly dry at this point in The Road.  Basically, the first 33 pages are describing the current situation of how all of America is burned and in complete ruin while this man and his son walk towards the coast, searching for warmth and new hope.  There have been moments in these first 33 pages where the young boy asks his father about death and questions the reasons why.  Aside from his youth in years, the boy acts very mature for his age.  The way Cormac describes everything, gives the reader (me) some vivid imagery of gloomy darkness, which actually helps me picture the setting quite well.  I bet if The Road were a movie, there would be a really sad song playing in the background of the beginning.  Something like "My December" by Linkin Park would fit well.  When it comes to the mood it sets at least.  Maybe.

A line i liked: "If they got wet there'd be no fires to dry by.  If they got wet they would probably die."

An interesting line that really stuck with me is how the father and son are "each other's world entire".  I, personally, cannot imagine traveling through ash and complete nothingness with only one other person.  I'd be praying for their life more than my own because what is more scary than being alone? Being alone in a world of absolute devistation? Nothing.