Method

Method

My only source of data was the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Before collecting data I re-read the novel and then once I chose my thesis argument I skimmed the novel again to find supporting evidence. When skimming the novel I focused on finding scenes and quotes that related to the Woman character as my thesis argument focuses on the way she is portrayed throughout the novel. I used these quotes to support my argument that the Woman was, in fact, a good mother who only did what she believed to be best for her child. I also skimmed the novel for quotes that related to the new state of the world in the novel. Finding quotes about the devastation of the world helped to support my argument that the Woman’s state of mind and actions in the novel were reasonable. Finding quotes about the violent, awful world that surrounded the Woman helped to support my argument that the Woman believed an awful, horrific death for the Boy was inevitable and she only wished to save him from the horror that surrounded him and that was his fate. After reading the novel I was surprised by the number of times the word grey was used to describe the setting and so I chose to count and then chart the number of times this word is used. I decided to include this data to reinforce the idea that the world has become a truly terrible place that the Woman wishes to save her child from.