Character List and Analysis
The Boy
The boy goes unnamed throughout the novel. As the man and boy travel on the road, the boy is the only source of light in his father's life. Similarly, the man is all that the boy has, and the boy doesn't want to live unless his father remains with him. The boy is strong and resilient, but also sensitive and compassionate. When the man and boy encounter others on the road, the boy shows more sympathy towards them, while his father is more concerned about keeping the two of them alive. It is the boy who is able to get the man to show kindness to others on the road, however begrudgingly such kindness is given. One of the boy's top priorities is to be a good guy. He wants to make sure that he and his father are helping people and are carrying the fire. While the boy is the source of all of the man's strength, the man doesn't realize how much the boy worries about him, and how much the boy's will to live on depends on his father.