Road to Winter : Themes

Survival, Courage and Conflict are major themes running through the novel.

Think of how Finn has survived for two years already by himself. What strategies were put in place by his family at the outset of the virus? What skills has Finn developed over this time in order to survive, think of how he is able to feed himself, stay safe and also cope with being ny himself.

Consider the courage Finn has displayed being able to overcome the loneliness he must have felt at being alone with only Rowdy for company. Think of the courage he displays when he takes up the fight to help Rose. Consider what it would be like to live in fear of being either killed by the virus, or caught by Ramage and the WIlders.

There is much conflict evident in the novel:

Character V Self - Finn would constantly struggle with his own thoughts, values, attitudes and beliefs. Many times he would have to make the decision about what the 'right' course of action would be.

Character v Character - Consider the number of struggles Finn would have with other characters in the novel. Particularly with Ramage and his gang of Wilders.

Character V Society - Given that the rules of society had changed completely over a very short period of time, Finn had to struggle with how he felt about these changes internally as well as the practical implications.

Character V Environment - Finn is clearly someone who cares for and respects the natural environment and realises how important it is for his survival and for the future. The time he spends in the ocean surfing are also times which are extremely important for him and his well being.

Finn has spent so much time on his own since the virus hit with only Rowdy for company. How must he feel to have lost his family, his friends, his community and everything that was real to him? Loss and loneliness are huge issues to deal with, even more so if you are on your own. How does he react at the prospect of new friends in his lfe? Obviously trusting them would be a huge issue in the beginning. However, in remarkable circumstances, remarkable things happen!

Finn has an extremely high level knowledge about the environment in which he lives - he has had to in order to survive. He realises the importance of caring for this environment if he is to continue living where he does and receiving what he needs from it. He knows his surrounds intimately which enables to hide and move unseen when necessary. He also knows that others will be more than willing to take what they can from the environment for their own means without considering the long term impacts.

What is the stronger force in Road to Winter - community interest or self-interest. Depending on the character and their overarching goal, these would differ. Everyone has to have a certain amount of self-interest in order to survive, however, where your interests and goals lie beyond survival will define your character. Do you put self-interest above the community? Or will you put community interest above self?

Road to Winter is very much based on relationships - both good and bad. After being on his own for so long, Finn is suddenly thrust into a number of relationships as the storyline progresses. Clearly relationships exist that help Finn, some put major obstacles in his way, some put him in danger and some change his life forever. 

Finn is a young man who puts a high price on truth and trust - as he must do in order to survive. He has many secrets as do the other characters he meets along the way. All of these characters have secrets for a variety of reasons - to stay safe, to reamain hidden, to survive, to have power over others, to make others suffer. Secrets can be good and bad!