Waiting for Godot vs. The Road

[Denise]

Never knew that this is called dystopian literature, even though I read Waiting for Godot-overanalyzed it and never did think it had much meaning. Then I sat on the fence throughout this book. I did allow my imagination some what? "flights of fancy" or should I say dark wondering. This is the darkest, dreariest book I've read in along time. The narrative encapsulates a "no hope" scenario for the future.

[Zach]

I think this book is all about hope. It's buried under all the horrible things that happen, but this is one of the most hopeful books McCarty has written.

[Denise]

Maybe it really is hopeful, but how? Because we are survivors along with the characters?

[Vanessa]

I think it is hopeful because the father never gives up on the boy, and despite all of the horror of the world he has been born into, the boy is still fundamentally good and has compassion.

[Marius]

I don't see it without hope. Right at the end, there's:

--
The woman when she saw him put her arms around him and held him. Oh, she said, I am so glad to see you. She would talk to him sometimes about God. He tried to talk to God but the best thing was to talk to his father and he did talk to him and he didnt forget. The woman said that was all right. She said that the breath of God was his breath yet though it pass from man to man through all of time.
--

To me, this is a clear sign of hope.