Life and Times of Michael K written by J M Coetzee and The Road by Cormac McCarthy have one main aspect in common which is the theme of war War is present in both books but it is applied in different ways In Life and Times of Michael K there is an actual civil war going on that is terrorizing the society while in The Road the war is mainly about people against people Although different in type most of the effects that occur on the society are the same The protagonists in the two books are mostl