What is this fire? Why is it so crucial that they not let it die?

  1. As the father is dying, he tells his son he must go on in order to "carry the fire." When the boy asks if the fire is real, the father says, "It's inside you. It was always there." (279). What is this fire? Why is it so crucial that they not let it die? 2. McCarthy envisions a violent post-apocalyptic world. How difficult or easy is it to imagine this scenario actually happening? Do you think people would behave as they do in the novel, under the same circumstances? 3. The man and the boy think of themselves as the "good guys." In what ways are they like and unlike the "bad guys" they encounter? What do you think McCarthy is suggesting in the scenes in which the boy begs his father to be merciful to the strangers they encounter on the road? How is the boy able to retain his compassion? 4. What makes the relationship between the boy and the father so powerful? How do they maintain their affection for and faith in each other in such brutal conditions? 5. Why do you think McCarthy ends the novel with the image of trout in mountain streams before the end of the world. What is surprising about this ending? Does it provide closure, or does it prompt a rethinking of all that has come before? What does it suggest about what lies ahead? 6. What is your reaction to how the novel/journey concludes for the father and son? Can you think of an alternate ending that you prefer?