Response to Schaub's "Secular Scripture and Cormac McCarthy's The Road"

While reading Schaub's essay I found myself enjoying the way Schaub highlighted aspects of McCarthy's novel that were used to evoke a thought process in the reader. Schaub recognizes how "McCarthy taps into the commonplace of American writing, or fishing in America..." (Schaub 156). McCarthy does not in fact describe the pre apocalyptic world, but yet his inclusion of the brook filled with trout and other allusions make it clear that the pre apocalyptic world must be in fact much like today's world. Furthermore Schaub states: "McCarthy uses memory to bring into our consciousness the very images that are fading away within the world of the novel" (Schaub 157). Similar to what we discussed today in class alluding to Connor's parallel to the collective unconscious, McCarthy's "hints" through out the text make it much easier to picture the pre burnt and deteriorated earth.

Furthermore Schaub's essay is very peculiar in how it contradicts itself continuously, Schaub first asserts that signs and symbols of spiritual facts can no longer be used as they have all been turned to ash, however he later discusses the idea of "whether there can be meaning without embodiment" (Schaub 155). Originally Schaub contends that symbols and sign are no longer relevant because their remains are merely ash, however he later discusses the possibility that there can be meaning with out "embodiment". The idea that something can have spiritual value and importance, however its physical being may no longer exist. God for example, a controversial topic throughout the novel as the protagonists question his existence, in most religions is not seen by human’s, however is a spiritual being who is known to watch over mankind. God to many is extremely meaningful, and therefore proves that there can in fact be meaning without embodiment. When the protagonists take shelter with Ely, as Ely states that God does not exist in the post apocalyptic world, however the father responds with a simple "No?", he too questions whether God can in fact exist in such a deteriorated world, and questions how God could allow the downfall of life on earth. interestingly Schaub like the protagonists battles with this question, and the idea of meaning without embodiment. However this contradiction between the lack of symbolism because they have all been burned to ash, and the idea that spiritual meaningfulness does not have to spark from a an actual, present being. Fire for example a symbol that "burns" throughout the novel as the destructive force that brought the majority of life on planet earth to its end, and the fire that "burns" within the man and his son, the "fire" to persist and survive, does not actually exist within the protagonists. The internal organs are not in fact burning with fire, and therefore this symbolism though not realistically burning there is still extremely meaningful. Scaub's essay poses many questions to his readers through his contradictions and ideas. These questions lead to further interpretation of novel, and a greater more "meaningful" understanding of the text.