In “The Road,” Principles play a huge part in shaping the
barren post-apocalyptic world that this story takes place in. As the book
progresses, many principles are thrown out the window, with the threat of
cannibals always present, and murder being second nature. While the overall goal
in “The Road” for the man and the boy is to survive together, is it possible to
do so without breaking a good amount of principles? While the two share some
moments of momentary relief, they find themselves in countless situations where
the person they encounter has lost a certain principle. This principle is humanity.
In times of crisis, like in “The Road,”
one has to figure out what principle should they stand by through thick and
thin. I think that keeping our humanity is the most important principle of all,
no matter what the situation. Humanity
is the ability to sympathize, to relate, to show compassion, to understand.
These traits make are what makes us human, and breaking the principle of
humanity makes you something much less. In “The Road” there is a group of cannibals
called blood-cults. While their goal might have been to survive through the
post-apocalyptic world, they broke the principle of humanity, eating their
fellow humans, making them something less than human. While the future for
society in “The Road” might be bleak and chaotic, as long as people keep their
humanity, there is something to live for.