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Quiz about Cormac McCarthy Down The Road

Cormac McCarthy - Down "The Road" Quiz

In a gray world freezing from the inside out, you must travel the road. Where are you going? What will you do? let's see. Spoilers

A multiple-choice quiz by SGTShaw. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
SGTShaw

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
405,223

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
90

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "The Road" received which prestigious literary award? Hint

John Newberry Medal

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Nobel Prize for Literature

National Book Award

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Question 2 of 10

2. None of the characters in the novel have names, and are instead given titles - the Man and the Boy. What is their relationship? Hint

Godfather and Godchild

Uncle and Nephew

Father and Son

Grandfather and Grandson

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Question 3 of 10

3. What was the extinction event that ended the world in "The Road?" Hint

Global warming

Volcanic eruption

Unknown

Asteroid impact

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Question 4 of 10

4. Most of the human population has been killed off. What are the survivors eating? Hint

Roots and berries

Dirt

Mutated animals

Humans

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Question 5 of 10

5. The Man carries a revolver with him. How many rounds are in it? Hint

Two

Four

Six

One

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Question 6 of 10

6. There is a scene in the book where the Man gives the Boy a "treat". What does this turn out to be? Hint

Candy

A new pair of shoes

Purified water

Coca-Cola

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Boy's mother (known as the Woman), dies of disease at their camp.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. The Man, since the beginning of the novel, has been suffering from an unknown ailment and is dying. To make matters worse, he is injured by what? Hint

A falling tree

An arrow

A knife

A flare gun

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Question 9 of 10

9. Despite the nature of the world around them, The Man tries to instill his son with civility and morality. Throughout the novel, he refers to this as "carrying" what? Hint

Fire

Earth

Rain

Angels

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Question 10 of 10

10. Where does the Man die at the end of the novel? Hint

Beach

Woods

Church

Homestead

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "The Road" received which prestigious literary award?

Answer: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

This is Cormac McCarthy's first novel to receive this distinction. It was awarded the prize in 2007, and became a selection for Oprah's Book Club. It was followed by a film adaptation in 2009.

2. None of the characters in the novel have names, and are instead given titles - the Man and the Boy. What is their relationship?

Answer: Father and Son

The novel follows the Man and the Boy (who are, in fact, father and son) as they traverse a scorched wasteland. Everything is gray, and each day grows colder and darker. Their objective is to reach the coast, where the Man believes they will survive the impending winter.

3. What was the extinction event that ended the world in "The Road?"

Answer: Unknown

While there are descriptions of a bright light and low concussions, and flashback sequences show how the Man reacted to the unknown event when it first occurred, there is no clear explanation as to what happened or why.

4. Most of the human population has been killed off. What are the survivors eating?

Answer: Humans

The apocalypse has killed off all animal life and destroyed all crops. Most survivors have resorted to cannibalism, and the Man's worst fear is that he and the Boy will be murdered and eaten.

5. The Man carries a revolver with him. How many rounds are in it?

Answer: Two

The Man is saving the rounds for himself and his son, so they are not captured and eaten by other survivors. He does, however, use one to kill another survivor who threatens him and holds the Boy at knifepoint.

6. There is a scene in the book where the Man gives the Boy a "treat". What does this turn out to be?

Answer: Coca-Cola

The Man finds the can of soda and offers it to the Boy, urging him to drink it all, as one of the last surviving relics from a civilized world. The Boy instead shares it with his father.

7. The Boy's mother (known as the Woman), dies of disease at their camp.

Answer: False

It is explained through flashbacks that the Woman committed suicide years before the story began, at some point after civilization collapsed. This occurred when the Boy was very young, leaving the Man to take care of him alone.

8. The Man, since the beginning of the novel, has been suffering from an unknown ailment and is dying. To make matters worse, he is injured by what?

Answer: An arrow

The Man and the Boy are ambushed, in which the Man gets shot with an arrow in the leg. He ultimately kills one of the attackers with a flare gun, but his health quickly deteriorates.

9. Despite the nature of the world around them, The Man tries to instill his son with civility and morality. Throughout the novel, he refers to this as "carrying" what?

Answer: Fire

The Man constantly reminds the boy they are "carrying the fire," claiming this is the reason they can't give up on surviving. The Boy even goes so far as to ask a set of strangers at the end of the book if they are carrying it as well, to see if they are "good guys."

10. Where does the Man die at the end of the novel?

Answer: Beach

The Boy stays with his father's body for three days before being approached by a family. The Boy, while hesitant, becomes convinced they are the "good guys" and decides to travel with them, bringing the novel to a close.

Source: Author SGTShaw

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Cormac McCarthy - Down "The Road" Quiz

In a gray world freezing from the inside out, you must travel the road. Where are you going? What will you do? let's see. *Spoilers*

In a gray world freezing from the inside out, you must travel the road. Where are you going? What will you do? let's see. Spoilers