Ritual
The Man is presented as questioning his faith, but despite this, relies on rituals to maintain a sense of hope and normalcy to his life. I will provide a description of 8 characteristics of religion as per Ben Davis— in particular, gestures, repeated actions, significant words spoken, a link to the past, and wholehearted participation— to demonstrate the Man’s devotion to his religious convictions. According to David "A ritual is a ceremony or action performed in a customary way. As an adjective, ritual means “conforming to religious rites,” which are the sacred, customary ways of celebrating a religion or culture. Different communities have different ritual practices, like meditation in Buddhism, or baptism in Christianity. How do you say a powerful prayer- thank him, know to whom you are speaking, ask for forgiveness". Furthermore he describes the Heathen, an ungodly and barbaric person as not being involved with ritual and prayer, represented by those in the cannibal cults in the novel who are described as non godspoken (McCarthy, 32) who obey only Runic slogans, creeds misspelled (McCarthy, 90), whom the Man and the Boy oppose in convictions. Trotignon emphasizes the importance of prayer in the novel, and how this is demonstrated through the communication between the father and the son as shown through promises: the Man vows to protect the Boy with his life, and the Boy promises the Man to remember him after his death. Furthmore, Trotignon argues that the son fulfilling his promise to remember his father at the end of the novel is an act of prayer (ritual).
"Novelist Cormac McCarthy was evasive when asked by Oprah Winfrey about God in the only TV interview the author has ever done. "I don't think you have to have a clear idea of who or what God is in order to pray," he said. "You can be doubtful about the whole business.""(Dansby)
"The father, on the other hand, is desperate to protect his charge", and "the story finds its doubt but also humanity...hope in the act of following a good child" (Dansby)
"He tousled his hair before the fire to dry it. All of this like some ancient anointing” (McCarthy, 74)
“The boy didnt stir. He sat beside him, and stroked his pale and tangled hair. Golden chalice, good to a house of god. Please dont tell me how the story ends” (McCarthy, 75)
"He sat beside the boy and pulled the blankets over him and brushed back his filthy haif. I think maybe they are watching, he said. They are watching for a thing that even death cannot undo and if they do not see it they will turn away from us and they will not come back” (McCarthy, 211)
“When he went back to the fire he knelt and smoothed her hair as she slept and he said if he were God he would have made the world just so and no different.” (McCarthy, 219)
“You have to carry the fire. Where is it? I dont know where it is. Yes you do. Its inside you. It was always there. I can see it… You have my whole heart. You always did. You’re the best guy. You always were. If i’m not here you can still talk to me. You can talk to me and I’ll talk to you” (McCarthy 278-279)
“Out on the road the pilgrims sank down and fell over and died and the bleak and shrouded earth went trundling past the sun and returned again as tackless and as unremarked as the path of any maneless sisterworld in the ancient dark beyond” (McCarthy, 181)
Gestures
One of the most repeated gestures in the novel is the Man caring for his Son by combing his hair.
Repeated Actions
The most repeated action in the novel is the Mans insistence on keeping moving down the road despite whatever obstacles are ahead, all while carrying the fire (see symbols). Literally, keeping the fire burning prevents death from the cold, and acts metaphorically as an internal flame to ward of darkness and death.
“We should thank the people... we hope that you’re safe in heaven with God.” (McCarthy 146)- The Boy
“You’re not the one who has to worry about everything. The boy said something but he couldnt understand him. What? He said. He looked up, his wet and grimy face. Yes I am, he said. I am the one” (McCarthy, 259)
“He told the boy stories, Old stories of courage and justice as he remembered them” (McCarthy, 41)
“There were times when he sat watching the boy sleep that he would begin to sob uncontrollably but it wasnt about death. He wasnt sure what it was about but he thought it was about beauty or about goodness. Things that he’d no longer any way to think about at all.” (McCarthy 129-130)
“Rich dreams now which he was loathe to wake from. Things no longer known in the world… What you alter in the remembering has yet a reality, known or not” (McCarthy 131)
“The color of it moved something in him long forgotten. Make a list. Recite a litany. Remember.” (McCarthy, 31)
“But he had no life other” (McCarthy, 273) [The Man referring to caring for the Boy]
“He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke.” (McCarthy, 5)
Significant words spoken
The Boy, acting as the Christ figure (see Myth), passes on innate wisdom to the Man about the nature of good versus evil, demonstrating New Testament love in his very being.
A Link to the Past
The Man attempts to keep a link to the past by telling old stories to the Boy to teach him morals of godliness. He seeks to remember his late wife without getting lost in the past— which he believes would bring death to him and the Boy.
Wholehearted Participation
The Man is clear in his wholehearted participation of his faith. He devotes his life to the Boy, and lives to protect him. Even after death, his memory serves as comfort and guidance to the Boy.