Key featuresExamples

Genre of horrorEyes dead white and sightless as eggs of spiders the use of such dramatic language works to instil fear in the reader, which conforms to the genre.

Post-apocalypticTolling in silence the minutes of the earth and the hours and the days of it and the years without cease the repeated use of and creates an elongated sentence, which seems to never end. Much like the on-going struggle the characters face throughout the apocalypse. Tone is established through this, and the reader is exposed to the melancholic characterisation of the action.

TimeTime is only specified when the man describes going to sleep and then waking the following morning. Other than this, and brief mentions of assumed time he thought the month was October, we are only sure that the two characters have been travelling for a long time and quotes which link to a post-apocalyptic world he hadnt kept a calendar for years indicate this to us.

Colour imageryGray infers dull, lifelessness; red infers danger, anger and life; gold is used only when the Man reminisces, and presents the rich and beautiful past prior to the end of the world.

Decay imageryGlaucoma is a disease causing the gradual loss of sight, much like the loss of hope and health of the Man. Dead trees, faded and weathered and faint and stale all fabricate a strong mental image of a world which has been drained of all colour, nutrition and life.

Sentence structureSimplistic language, Okay., Go to sleep., gives a sense of detachment from both the Man and the Boy, but also from those characters and the reader. Yet again adding to the melancholic tone. Lack of speech marks, Can I ask you something? He said. indicates a society which is void of boundaries merging into one. The constant use of full stops can be associated with providing the reader with a jolted, and dramatic, read.

Seasonal imageryHe thought the month was October, Winter, Autumn, fall

Religious imageryFrom the beginning of the book, the Man makes reference to religion, and talks of pilgrims which very much relates to the journey of his and the Boys travelling to the coast to escape and find safety and sacrosanct. The Man also speaks of the Boy when saying If he is not the word of God God never spoke which makes reference to the mans beliefs of God at the start of the novel. He believes that he can only be saved by the Boy leading him to his death, thus making the Boy a messenger from God.

American novelMcCarthy uses language; black top, glassed and grocery cart to characterise the story as a traditional American novel. A fundamental element of the novel is the references to the American Dream: the constant longing for a better life, and the belief that if they travel south, they will be saved from their horrific situation.