Parental Strategies and Embodied Hope of Children in Post-Apocalyptic Works The Road and Bird Box: A study of Literary and Film Adaptation Strategies

Abstract

This thesis investigates alternate parental strategies in Post-Apocalyptic fiction by examining the core family units in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Josh Malerman’s Bird Box. Additionally, I will analyse their respective film adaptations directed by John Hillcoat and Susanne Bier, to conduct a comparative analysis of the story’s literary and visual depiction. To aid the literary and adaptation investigation, I will utilize selected concepts of Bowenian theory, developed by Dr.Murray Bowen, to heighten the analysis of family relations. I argue that instilling the embodied hope of children is the result of successful parental strategies. Keywords: family units, post-apocalyptic fiction, parental strategies, adaptation studies, Bowen family systems theory