Comparing The Road and Life and Times of Michael K Essay

Life and Times of Michael K written by J.M. Coetzee and The Road by Cormac McCarthy have one main aspect in common, which is the theme of war. War is present in both books but it is applied in different ways. In Life and Times of Michael K there is an actual civil war going on that is terrorizing the society while in The Road the war is mainly about people against people. Although different in type most of the effects that occur on the society are the same. The protagonists in the two books are mostly the same, they hid, starve. The two books have the theme of war present throughout the pages while the forms are different they give of the same effect, this is seen through the use of diction and imagery.

In both books there is a negative factor by which the protagonist is chased throughout the novel. In Michael K the protagonist is chased by several things, such as people and an environment. Michael K along his journey besides his goal to get to Prince Albert is also running away from all the commotion of the war that is happening throughout the land. He leaves from his home in Cape Town due to a band of protester plundering the house. There was a burst of fire from a machine-pistol, and from behind there barricade of cars answering shots. (pg. 12). This is the environment of the war that makes him want to leave to a more peaceful life. Later on after his mother dies Michael K has only on desire, to be left alone in peace, but the effects of war always catch up with him. "You get a choice and you choose Jakkalsdrif. Because we are not going to have people wandering around being a nuisance." (pg. 126). This is after he leaves the grandson he tries to escape the current society that is controlled by the war but is always dragged back in. In The Road there is a different kind of war, the war is between the the good guys and the bad guys. This war is mainly fought for survival the bad guys want to cannibalize the good guys. The roads are peopled by gangs, looking for food (pg.86). This is an example of the mentality of the protagonists; they think only of getting to the south and want to avoid getting caught by the bad guys. Another example of the fact that they are fighting a war with society is You wanted to know what the bad guys looked like. Now you know. It may happen again. My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you. Do you understand? (pg. 65) this quote again shows the audience the fact that the protagonists want to get away from it all and just survive. The war is fought by staying ahead of the antagonists and never being caught, most importantly trying to keep the boy alive. Both books share the theme of war, but it is used differently. Nonetheless there are some similarities such as the fact that the protagonists from both books are running away from the antagonists and rarely fight back. The difference is that in Michael K he is not running for his life but for the idea of his freedom while in The Road there the protagonists run from the bad guys which are trying to eat them.

The wars in the books force the protagonists to find ways in which to avoid them, and stay clear of trouble. In the road the protagonist K has a very strange way of escaping the war. He isolates himself from all existence. He wanders off where no man has gone to stay to himself. An example of his isolation is when he runs of into the mountains he wants to cut his relation to the outside world. High above the town he cast around for a place to sleep and found a cave that had evidently been used for campers. (pg.65). His self-induced exile is to help him protest against the war going one in the land. He hides to be left alone to his inner peace and the nature around. Another attempt of his to stay hidden This was the site K settled on, he spent the rest of the afternoon trying to disguise it(pg.100). This is his attempt to settle in with his orchard, as seen he does the upmost possible to hid his existence from the war. In The Road the idea of hiding is not as different from the one from Michael K. In The Road the protagonists hid form the bad guys using most of the methods that Michael K uses. Such as the fact that they try to stay isolated from others on the road and also they try to disguise their appearance. We need to get out of the road. Why, Papa? Someones coming. Is it the bad guys? Yes. I am afraid so.(pg.103). As said in the quote they keep moving through the waste land to stay ahead of the dangers that lie behind. The two hind in whatever they can find to show no life signs. Looking at the books and the way that the two protagonists handle their safety they are practically the same. The only difference is that in The Road the protagonists do not have to option to choose if they are a victim, while in Michael K the protagonist choses to exile himself. In The Road there is no choice, its either you run and hid or you stay and get raped and eaten. This is the difference between the two.

All the negative aspects of the war follow the protagonist throughout the book leaking in the shadows.