These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Do you think personal morals are still vital in a survival situation? What would you consider to be off-limits and why?

Teaching Suggestion: The crux of the debate between father and son throughout The Road is concerned with retaining one’s humanity and sense of purpose, especially in their interactions with strangers, many of whom have turned to cannibalism and other forms of violence in order to survive. Thinking about the value of morality in a situation where the usual social structures have broken down will prepare students to think about the apocalypse as a metaphor for economic cruelty.

Post-Reading Analysis

Aside from one passage that doesn’t clarify whether the apocalypse was a natural occurrence (such as a comet or volcano) or a man-made one (such as nuclear war), The Road chooses not to focus on how or why the world ended. What does this lack of a focus do for your understanding of the thematic purposes of the novel?

Teaching Suggestion: In most apocalyptic literature, how the world ended is a key thematic element: manmade apocalypses tend to be grounded in folly or hubris, natural apocalypses in man’s impact on the environment, and religious apocalypses in moral judgment.