Extract review...page 32

The overall impact of the structurally similar paragraphs expresses the simplicity of their world; each day is horribly alike to the last.
"They ate sparely and they were hungry all the time"
The use of repeating the same structure multiple times also could represent the single-mindedness of the man; his own denial that there is nothing good left within the world has narrowed his capability to clearly see the truth of the world. This could arguable be used to interpret why the world is so bleak; MaCarthy only reveals the perspectives of one subject, the narrative therefore unreliable. The use of telescoping through time during this extract is also used to emphasis the notion that there is no necessity to describe their world as there is nothing better to compare it to, their world supposedly too empty to have anything to describe in the first place. To compare something in the first place means to possess something that is potentially better or worse than what you had originally, but in a world so desperately empty there is literally nothing the man can even use to compare. The continuous repetition that there is no notion of where exactly they are within the world emphasises effectively that there is nothing recognisable of their previous world; no sense of location presents the fact that humanity is on the verge of extinction as a sense of direction gives the impression that there is something to aim for. Therefore, the lack of this sense emphasises how empty and scarred this world is, as though they are only surviving and not living.
"He’d no notion how far the summit might be…How far had they come?"
The rhetorical question is aimlessly asked by the man to emphasis the fact that there is no ‘one either there to answer it, or nobody worthy enough to answer it to his expectations. Perhaps his question was projected at God; had they come far enough to be worthy of salvation? The question then purposely left unanswered to give them a reason to continue their journey.
The fact that the man believes that there are no more ‘good guys’ gives the impression that a part of him has given up trying to find goodness in the dead world.
"On this road there are no godspoken men."
Yet, because of this direct, one-person narrative, the reader cannot fully rely on the man’s perspectives; they are one-sided and therefore unreliable. The fact that he previously valued his son as "the word of God" gives the impression that he has become deluded by the intense bleakness that surrounds him, convincing himself that the worst has occurred to distance himself from false hope, therefore he, in a way, saves himself from mental harm.
"They are gone and I am left and they have taken with them the world"
This statement suggests what may have happened to the world; religion playing a significant role in our world where people risk their lives daily for their God and their moral judgements. This contradiction of moral judgements actually destroying what their God had created then suggests that humanity has died out with their religious and moral values. The definition of life itself being shaped around the existence of religion, God, etc, alludes the fact that they themselves are still alive; the boy consistently being represented to be a religious figure (the fact his own morals reflect that of the ten commandments). Creating the everlasting question that MaCarthy bases his entire novel on in the fist place; does God really exist?
Another rhetorical question MaCarthy thereafter presents within the text emphasises the importance of the present.
"How does the never to be differ from what never was?"
The phrase therefore represents the idealism that we should never delude ourselves with fantasies of the future when it is questionable whether the future exists at all. Instead, we should focus on the present day; to live with no regrets, this theory playing a key role throughout the novel as the duo travel further and further into what seems to be a pointless, never ending pit of misery and dead hope. The man does not wish to be associated with such hope, represented within the dream he has of his sick wife.
"…and there is no other dream nor other waking world and there us no other tale to tell"
There is no other way to tell such a tale; the reality used to show the simplicity of this dire world. This sense of realism impacts the overall sense of lack of possessions, hope, etc; they are left in this world with nothing but emptiness, and the man would rather cling to this notion than the fantasied dreams, otherwise he will lose sight of his only purpose keeping him sane; to protect his son. The ‘never to be’ could individually be recognised as the man’s willingness to keep the memory of his wife true, instead of deluding himself that he did the right thing; to let her die alone. Instead, he would rather remember the truth in order to keep the reality of this world alive. The excessive darkness that this world is perceived through the man gives the impression that there is no salvation in this world.