The End of The Road

The novel ends with the father dying and the boy finding a family to take care of him.  Compared to the rest of the story this is an optimistic ending.  Even though the father died the kid survived, which is more important and was the father's sole goal.  More promising is the fact that the people the boy is going with have two young kids, a boy and a girl.  The boy has been wanting to meet other kids like him for a long time, ever since they saw a little boy in a town.  This also suggests that there is still hope for the human race, and a new generation is possible.  The concept of holding the fire is brought up when the boy asks the man who finds him whether he's a good guy and if he holds the fire.  He's obviously a good guy but he doesn't understand the metaphor.  Either way, they are all keeping the fire alive by continuing to be the good guys and doing the right thing.  The final paragraph is about times past, describing trout swimming in a mountain stream.  This is another positive note to end on.  It may foreshadow good times coming back, or at least keeping the good times in memory.  Though many people the man and the boy meet along the road face horrible endings, the future looks bright for the boy and the other kids.  Not to end on a complete downer, but of course in that world hardships will still remain.