1-5 Summary

The novel begins with a father looking over his child as he sleeps. It soon becomes apparent that they are sleeping outside, and the father questions whether they can make it through the winter. He takes his cart and pushes his child and their knapsacks along the road. Before long, they reach an abandoned gas station. The father tries calling his old house, and his son asks what he is doing. A moment later, they leave the gas station but turn back to get some oil. Further down the road they reach the city, and the father comments that there is no smoke coming from the city, so presumably there is no life there. It starts to rain, but once it finishes, they set up camp and fall asleep.

Still awake the child asks his father about death, and the father gently reassures...