What is the fire?

The man always tells the boy that they are some of the only good people left in the world, and that they carry the fire. But the boy starts to question this, because as time goes on they start doing more heinous things such as shooting people, not helping people, and taking from people. To the boy it seems like they are doing the same things that everyone else is doing, but every time he thinks that, the father reassures him that they are good and that they carry the fire.

The fire is something that the man says is real and that the boy has had it all along. There can be many different interpretations of the fire, and it can be taken literally or symbolically. The literal interpretation is that they carry a lighter that can light fires. It is mentioned by Ely that it has been along time since he has seen a fire, so it is implied that it is a rare thing in that world. The man could be saying that they hold a very important element that nobody else has.

Another interpretation is that the fire is the will to survive. Those who are without the fire live and die quickly, but those with the fire will live on. You can also have an uncontrollable fire, or a weak and flickering flame. When the man is dying, he symbolically passes to the boy when he says that he must now carry on the fire, if this interpretation is used, then it means that he is passing on life and survival to the boy, and saying that the boy must go on and survive.

The next interpretation is that the fire is a symbol for the spark of life. Fire is essential for life; it cooks food, produces heat, and provides light. This would fit into the theme of the road best, because the book is somewhat scientific and is based on the renewal of life. Also, just as you pass on life to the next generation when you grow old and die, the man passed on the fire.

The last interpretation I will mention is that the fire is a symbol for human kindness and love. The others survivors do not have the fire, and they are evil and cruel. However, the boy and the man do have the fire, and they are the kindest people we read about in The Road. Also, the man keeps acting less kind as he starts losing the fire.