ANOTHER EPISODE

the baby on the spit (pp. 210-215)
 - short blunt deriptions " they were listening " creates tension, waiting for something to happen.
" it could be a trap " suspense, danger. " they could smell somehing cooking " leads the reader in, hinting at normality, "food"
" whatever black thing" unsure to whatever the thing is, lack of description leads the reader in.
" theres no one here. its okay " characters only feel safe in their own isolation.

McCarthy brings he gore back into the novel when illustrating the " charred human infant headless and gutted on the spit " this language makes you feel sick, as he creates a worryingly realistic image. it is a further example of our human savagery that has goten so out of hand we have even began killing infans of whom in normal society we deem untouchable, " women and chidren " , the fact it has been beheaded further shows the animalistic qualities whomever killed it thinks of it, " gutted " like a fish, like a butcher has prepared it and put time into the cooking- it has become a meal and not just a last ditch attempt of survival- it is clear that they have planned this and seem experienced in it.

" im sorry, he whispered, im sorry " father recognises the trauma this will cause the boy and tries to comfort him. " he didnt know if hed ever speak again " the boy seems to be scarred by the incident, innocence finally ruined in the death of the younger generation- the death of an innocent child.

thought " the sound of the river would cheer the boy up " simplistic calming things, natural, shows the life they are living in. " still a long way from the coast " recognises there is still a long journey remaining, shows us that there is still a lot of the story remaining.

they encounter a desolate few houses, a reminder of the post apocalyptic world they are living in, all is empty and have already been raided, " a man sat on a porch in his overalls dead for years " a reminder of how long it has been, " his overalls " his job, link to old life. letting go of his old life.
" enroute to their several and collective death " language and thoughts have become very pessimistic, hints of the journey geting harder for the characters, chances of surivival getting bleaker.

" he boy set off down the road. He'd not seen him run in a long time. Elbows out, flapping along in his oversized tennis shoes. He stopped and stood watching. biting his lip " The father is recognizing something he misses with he boy, draws a close connection to him at this point, his running brings him back to a concsious understanding and even begins to make him cry. this language evoke empathy for us as readers, as we see the father beginning to cry not for sadness but for happiness.

Switch back to their " normality " quickly after seeing the charred infant, reflects on how they are used to the gore and death scape around them, dismiss it,