Shooting the 'roadrat'. P.62-69.

The shooting of the roadrat is shocking and unexpected. The man and the boy were sleeping, until they heard a truck which is a sign of danger for them, this compels the reader to realise just how at risk they are, as to us a truck is merely an object and a sign of human life. We see and hear trucks everyday and find it unusual to feel fearful toward such an everyday thing. The man grabs the boy and they run through trees to escape the sight of the people, who will most likely kill them. The conversation between the man and the roadrat goes from calm and casual, to a violent subject of how a bullet would go through his head, this is an example of how quickly they can go from being in one situation to another, like sleeping peacefully to threatening someone. The roadrat asks if the man is a doctor, and the man replies 'I'm not anything' not only does this give the impression that the man is degrading himself, but it also shows how messed up society, or what's left of it, has become. The man is so untrusting of the roadrat, he knows that it is each to their own and survival is key, and therefore comes to the decision that he and the boy must continue alone, this is an example of how the man and the boy are isolated. They can't trust anyone as it is a fight for survival, and there is too much risk. When the roadrat takes the boy and holds a knife to his throat, the man shoots him within an instant, showing that he doesn't care for anyones life but his own and the boy's. This shows that, despite his emotionless exterior, the man will do anything for the boy and all they have is eachother. The boy appears expressionless when the man shoots the roadrat, this is a sign that he is finally becoming emotionless, like the man, and realising that they can't value anybody's lives but their own.