After the Apocalypse: the representations of in/tolerance in McCarthy’s The Road

Abstract

The representation of tolerance and intolerance in McCarthy’s novel “The Road” is studied in the article. The notion of tolerance has been of great interest for philosophers and writers, who aim to reveal true human nature and get to the depth of human soul. Even nowadays, this concept attracts attention of politics, authors and just ordinary people as the way to reach understanding and acceptance in the fast developing world. Philosophers consider tolerance as an inseparable part of a personality believing that people are naturally patient towards other human beings and try to treat them with respect, acknowledging their individuality. In fiction, this notion has been investigated as opposed to intolerance that can take various forms such as moral or physical oppression, unacceptance of people’s individuality, prohibition of free expression of opinions etc., which can come from the government or the society. On the contrary, tolerance is seen as acceptance of a divergence of opinions, lifestyles or else and can be mostly encountered in children’s literature. Cormac McCarthy, a well-known American writer, whose works make readers think about the essential questions of human existence, in the post-apocalyptic novel “The Road” examines the relationships of the main characters (the father and his son) with each other and the strangers they meet on their way. McCarthy explores whether in the almost completely destroyed world, where everyone is forced to fight for existence, there is still room for kindness and humanity. Meeting other characters, the protagonists do not always remain tolerant and understanding because the survival of their group (the family) depends on their choices. In McCarthy’s text, a character is tolerant until it does not hurt his or her own interests.