In Cormac McCarthy's book, The Road, the two main characters struggle to keep moving forward. Their motivation to move forward is found at the lower levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs; which are physiological, security and emotional. Each of the levels is equally important for man to achieve self-realization. However, to reach the higher level, man must first reach the lower levels. The physiological level, which is at the bottom of the pyramid, must be traversed first in order to reach the higher level of self-realization. Some of the needs at this level are food, water, air, shelter and sleep. These specific needs are what the man and boy seek throughout the book. On the lower level of As the two advance, they begin to run out of food. They find bits and pieces to eat as they go, but not enough to last long. Until they found an abundance of food in an abandoned house (McCarthy 138). While searching for food, they encounter or see other humans. Some of these humans are not the same as the man and the boy. However, they are cannibals. The need for food drove them to an act of indescribable cannibalism. The other person they see is a normal human trying to survive. The boy, very altruistic, wants to help others and share his own food. Unfortunately, man knows that the more people in his group, the less food he will have and the possibility of a shorter lifespan (Bo 32). The need for water is not simpler to implement. Fresh, sanitary water is not something you find very often in Cormac McCarthy's book. The man and boy must drink water from low, almost empty lakes. Which must be filtered before consuming. Later in their journey, they find water to drink in a trapdoor (McCarthy 122). While these circumstances may not be ideal for any human being, the two have no other choice if they want to