Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian: Book Review and Reflection

Blood Meridian: Book Review and Reflection on Today’s World

By Armando Ortiz

I began reading Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian back in the summer of 2019. At that time, a man went on a shooting rampage, killing his father, brother and a random bus rider. As I neared the end of the book, public shooting also took place in El Paso, Texas. There a man entered a Walmart in El Paso, and killed twenty three people. Having witnessed real-world acts of violence, the reflection on Blood Meridian’s themes became all the more necessary. The novel’s portrayal of violence presents an opportunity to explore the deeper roots of such brutality in human nature.

This essay will explore how violence plays out today in our society and is mirrored in McCarthy’s novel, exemplified by the brutal actions of the outlaw characters and senseless acts of violence. By drawing parallels between the novel’s world and real-life incidents like the shooting rampage we hear about so frequently, it explores how McCarthy’s narrative not only mirrors the violence prevalent in society but also raises questions about the lack of sacredness in human lives.Similarly, the novel’s world of outlaws relishing opportunities for brutality exhibits a similar lack of restrain and sacredness, mirroring the violence prevalent in today’s society.

During that time, I also found myself getting a haircut and shared with the barber what I was reading and its connection to the violence taking place. He instantly pointed out the Menendez brother and how they killed their parents to get their inheritance. Bringing that case to mind really meshed with McCarthy’s story of rubes, outlaws and desperados out and about making chaos in the American Southwest.

Again, I found myself with some teachers in a meeting with a local museum director. The art teacher spoke on how students needed opportunities with hands-on activities, to explore other alternatives besides reading, writing, and math. As she spoke to the group, the scene of The Kid repairing or making something with a piece of leather came to mind. I thought about how that character was able to make repairs to his personal items, and yet was just as violent as people can be today.

The novel Blood Meridian is best represented by a rattle snake swallowing its own tail- a symbol of eternal violence. The violence depicted in the book also occurs in modern society and has a global impact. The violence that seems random and uncalled for happening here in the U.S. isn’t unique; all over the world, there are examples of similar actions, and sometimes they remain unknown. McCarthy simply makes it evident that violence is a part of human nature and no one is immune to that part of human instinct.

Similarly, just as modern society grapples with the randomness and senselessness of violence, McCarthy’s novel unveils a world where outlaws relish opportunities for brutality, exhibiting a similar lack of restraint and sacredness. Today’s violence is no different than when the bandits break into an abandoned building and kill everyone inside or when a bear mauling takes place in the mountains. Violence could be avoided and controlled to some extent, but it seems that it is a part of human nature. The novel describes people being executed, or people surviving out in the elements in deformed fashion, adding to our understanding of the extent of violence that we are capable of engaging in.

Blood Meridian is a violent novel where there is no moral to be learned from the outlaw characters and is devoid of sacredness. They have some skills, and have socialized themselves among their peers. Those that make up the tribe are of various backgrounds and have taken The Kid under their wing. Yet they are as violent as the people making headlines today and the actions they take are no different. They are also no less violent than the people that came before them, because violence has played a role in every human society. 

In Cormac’s narrative, the Judge plays an ominous role and at times seems to represent the wise old devil with his vast knowledge. Although educated, the Judge too seems to relish the opportunity for violence. He knows how to make the necessary ingredients to perpetuate violence. He carries a notebook and destroys artifacts only after taking down some notes. In a way, taking notes as he sees fit. He seems to represent a figure that rewrites history through the violence that he perpetuates. In other words his lies become ‘the’ truth and his actions represent the darkest recesses of every reader’s instinct. In McCarthy’s narrative, the ominous figure of the Judge embodies a profound understanding of violence, utilizing it as a tool to rewrite history and perpetuate his version of the truth. This echoes throughout history, where civilizations and individuals have used violence to impose their beliefs and agendas. Today, the violence being played out in our society seems to be undirected and unfounded, much like the violence depicted in the novel. 

And yet, with or without being grounded in history, people still will be violent in taking part in violent behavior. McCarthy simply shines the light on behavior that we typically consider immoral and inhuman, but examples of this exist throughout history and found in all civilizations. Take for example the natives of Teotihuacan and how they buried babies at the base of temples thinking that the gods would accept such sacrifice. The practice of enslaving people has only recently been outlawed, and yet is still practiced in many parts of the world.

Today, the violence being played out in our society seems to be undirected and unfounded, much like the violence depicted in the novel. In McCarthy’s narrative, God is non-existent, and although religion is portrayed, it is not actively practiced. In the story there seems to be a lack of ritual, although the novel begins in the middle of a sermon, and later we see the kid carry a bible, there is no sense of there being a god in the book. All the characters exist in a dog eat dog world. The individuals engaged in the mass violence today seem to lack that ritual and sense of a higher being; they seem to just hate and exist in a world like that of the novel.

Nevertheless, children should be exposed to different activities. What they do with the knowledge that they acquire is up to them to figure out. They should have opportunities to make art with their hands, like sculpting and painting or learning outdoor survival skills that can bring positive outcomes. The hands-on skills that young people receive is limited, and this could be an avenue where they learn to cope with anger, frustrations, and develop resilience. Other alternatives to reach people that might otherwise decide to turn into one of McCarthy’s characters could help lessen the chances of violence. Again, by providing children with diverse opportunities and coping mechanisms, we can aim to lessen the chances of them turning into characters resembling those in McCarthy’s novel. 

Returning to the image of the snake swallowing itself, the chances of random violence happening again anywhere on this earth is pretty much guaranteed. There are far too many examples of our nature on this earth and McCarthy is a mirror that reflects who we are in the darkest corners of our civilizations, societies, tribes, and as individuals. Visiting a museum and seeing examples of human violence towards others supplements a book like Blood Meridian. The novel should be required reading for anyone exploring ways to mitigate violence in our societies and to understand human behavior. Again, the goal of the essay was to reflect on the violence that lives in McCarthy's novel and to emphasize how it is an example of how humans have been towards each other for millennia. In conclusion, the novel serves as a haunting reflection of the darkest aspects of humanity, shedding light on the timeless and universal nature of violence. As we confront the ever-present issue of violence in today’s world, McCarthy’s novel makes us contemplate the deeper reasons behind such brutality and to seek a deeper sense of sacredness in our lives. Doing this can lead to a more profound understanding of violence and a quest for a more compassionate and sacred society.