With the fear of the son and the possibility of dying close at hand, McCarthy also focuses deeply on the father's frustration. “If only my heart were stone” are the words McCarthy uses to illustrate the characters' emotional concerns. (McCarthy pg.11). Overall, the isolation journey has touched the boy as much as the man both externally and internally. The boys' journey across the road has left him weak and hopeless. McCarthy says: “It's always a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That is never the time at all” (McCarthy pg. 28). The years of travel had taken their toll on both of them, for which they no longer had high expectations