Even in the latter parts of the novel, the boy continues to see his father as a refuge. The man becomes sicker and sicker and at the end of the novel he dies. Nevertheless, the boy still perceives his father as a refuge figure. Although his father died, “he stayed three days” (McCarthy 281). The boy does not leave his father, demonstrating the fact that he still expresses a harmless attachment according to Bowlby's theory. The only place the boy went during this time was through the woods to the road to check out his surroundings. However, this change in the boy expresses his ability to separate from his father's growing attachment, from a refuge to a secure base. Attachment to Bowlby's secure base occurs when the caretaker acts as a secure home base to return to after exploration ("Attachment Styles"). Because his father had ensured his safety all the previous days, he feels most comfortable around him and stays close to him despite the fact that he is dead. Accordingly, Bowlby's theory concerns the boy's behavior throughout his life.