What are some examples of situational archetypes in The Road by Cormac McCarthy?

Great question to ask. This excellent book is of course
reminiscent in many ways to other great epics such as The Odyssey,
which features the archetype of a journey. If we examine what happens to the father and
the boy on this journey, we can see that there are situational archetypes that occur to
them that are similar to those encountered by epic heroes such as Odysseus. For example,
consider the obvious danger that the father and son face so often, in particular, the
house they enter when they find the people locked in the basement. Clearly, the way that
they are nearly trapped in this house and are kept as food has echoes of when Odysseus
and his men are trapped in the cave of the Cyclops. You might also like to think about
the way that the father dies, leaving his son to "carry the torch." This could be
related to the relationship between Odysseus and his son Telemachus. Archetypal themes
such as the perseverance of hope in the face of despair dominate this compelling
narrative.