The Purpose of Identity in “The Road”

We live in a very identity focused world. We form our identity by our experiences, our beliefs, and our dreams. Our identity will be influenced my the area in which we grew up, our opinions on pressing issues, and where we see ourselves in the future and what things we do to get us where we want to be. We see a lack of identity in the post apocalyptic world “The Road” takes place in. One of the most obvious examples of this is that McCarthy never tells us the names of the father and son in which the story follows. They are simply known as the man and the boy. This seems to in a sense take away part of their identity in the process. A name is a big part of our identity. It is how we are addressed and distinguished. If there we no names we would all fade together to a certain extent. McCarthy uses this to make the identity of the characters more fluid. In turn, allowing us an easier time placing ourselves or anyone in their situation. Our names are obviously not our only source of identity though of course. McCarthy demonstrates this by throwing in other qualities to form the identities of these characters. The boy being timid and relying on his father for protection. And the man stopping at nothing to protect his son and make a better life for the both of them.