Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing: Comparative Book Review

Cormac McCarthy’s The Crossing: Comparative Book Review

By Armando Ortiz

Wolves once roamed freely in all of North America, and by the early-20 century they had been exterminated in the U.S. The novel The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy is set in the early-20 century right before the start of World War Two and years after the last wolf was killed in the U.S. It tells the story of Billy Parham who ends up taking three trips into Mexico, which in a way become his rite of passage. This essay examines Parham’s journeys into Mexico and explores the similarities and differences between characters in Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha and Rulfo’s Pedro Paramo, as they embark on unexpected adventures in their quest for answers in various landscapes. More specifically it will analyze the dialogue that occurs between characters and also the journey as a road where the story unfolds and parallels each other.

Parham initiates his journeys with the search of a wolf that’s been causing havoc throughout the community’s countryside which is located near the Animas Mountains in the Southwest corner of New Mexico. He catches the she wolf, and instead of exterminating it decides to repatriate the canine back into Mexico. It is believed that that is where she came from, and therefore belongs there. He ends up going into the Northern Mexico state of Sonora. His second and third trips are journeys into Mexico again. On his second time he goes with his brother in search of some stolen goods, but then he gets abandoned by his younger brother.

A unique aspect of McCarthy’s book is its similarities to Cervantes’ Don Quixote. It is as if McCarthy in some way taps into Cervantes’ energy in his descriptions of the rural landscapes, like the vistas or highpoints of mountain ranges. The landscapes that their characters see and the people they meet randomly while on their journeys are very similar. Both writers have characters that travel the countryside that seem to have been abandoned. In addition to their shared journeys through the countryside, both works portray characters facing significant migrations for different reasons.

In Cervantes’ world people have departed to other places, to colonize the Americas, joined the Spanish armadas, or gone into the church ministries. In McCarthy’s world, people are migrating north due to natural disasters like drought and earthquakes, as well as invasions by Americans and Apaches, which have ravaged Northern Mexico and its  towns. The steady stream of people that are emptying out the countryside end up in the U.S. In both narratives people have abandoned their place of origin to strike their luck in new lands. Nevertheless, the main characters’ journey begins in the places that people have abandoned.

Those that have stayed in the northern Mexican countryside are gypsies, communes where people share and work for the benefit of the community- ejidos, other people just stayed behind for various personal reasons, like mormons or native communities that resisted the Spanish, Americans and now Mexicans. In McCarthy’s novel the characters living in Mexico seem to be relics of a life that no longer existed in the US, a certain generosity that is open to any possibility that might arise.

In the U.S. Parham continuously comes across barbed wire fences, and homes have dogs that monitor all the activities, and Native Americans, like the wolves of the American Southwest, seem to be more a myth than a reality but still very much alive. In Mexico the land is there to explore and people seem more generous and willing to help- its a common characteristic. There are many meetings in Parham’s travels where people share their food with him.

In contrast to the sparse dialogues in McCarthy’s narrative, Cervantes masterfully depicts extensive dialogues between his characters. Similar to Cervantes, he describes what was and how people interacted with each other while on the road- offering and sharing with each other whatever they had to passerby in need of help. Yet in McCarthy’s world the danger and likelihood of being robbed or killed is there, like a shadow in the background. He paints images that were unique to the Southwest US and Northern Mexico in the mid-20th century along the same lines as Cervantes does when describing the Spanish countryside. 

In The Crossing characters rarely engage in lengthy dialogues, possibly because Parham travels alone most of the time. The experience of a poverty stricken solo traveler differs significantly from that of a pair of gregarious and loquacious friends like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Parham’s companions are his family, people who already know him well. Their brief discussions convey a sense of familiarity, often implying more than what is explicitly said. The dialogues that do take place are with people like the native shaman or the lone ex-Mormon living a hermit’s life from the perspective of the people that are talking to him. Not so much discussions as monologues to the various reasons we exist in this world. Yet his wanderings and his dialogues with people after a while begin to take the shape of a world that is devoid of conversation. Parham’s quest for his brother parallels the search portrayed in Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Paramo.

This sparse use of dialogues and the eerie atmosphere further echo the haunting journey experienced in Rulfo’s novel. As the narrative unfolds, a sense of familiarity begins to emerge. It's as if Parham, like Juan Preciado in Pedro Paramo, were traveling through a land created by Juan Rulfo. At some point you begin to wonder if Parham is a wandering soul in search for his relative, trying to find his way, in lands where he once called home, like Preciado experiences. As in Rulfo’s narrative, roads at times are empty, dangers exist, and you really don’t know who runs the places that Parham treads on. When a mozo brings him his horse the servant calls out for “el joven Parramo.” It is as if Cormac were making allusions between his characters and those that exist in Rulfo’s narrative.

McCarthy’s descriptions of Northern Mexico and Southern New Mexico follow Cervantes’ descriptions of the Spanish countryside. Lunch and breaks are taken along passes with vistas that one can almost see or along rivers where poplars border the water's edge and wave at you as you follow the flow of the story. In both there is kindness sharing, and there is compassion expressed by people willing to help Parham both in the U.S. and in Mexico. Even though, both Parham and Don Quixote have different personalities, their experiences and lessons learned are through their travels and interactions with other people. Just like Parham searches for places and relatives, so does Preciado, and both seem to explore lands that are dangerous, desolate, and ghostly. McCarthy skillfully fits his novel right amidst works celebrated for compelling characters, picturesque landscapes, and engaging dialogues. Furthermore, the story exemplifies the human instinct to search for answers even in seemingly barren places, leading to profound and distinctive experiences.

In conclusion, The Crossing by McCarthy, with its evocative portrayal of journeys, resonates with Cervantes’ Don Quixote and Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Paramo. Parham’s quest into Mexico reflects the human desire for meaning and connection in vast landscapes. The ghostly atmosphere, sparse dialogues, and eerie towns in The Crossing parallel the mysterious journey in Pedro Paramo, evoking a sense of familiarity across time and cultures.

While Parham and Don Quixote differ in their personalities and companions, they share the essence of travel as a transformative experience. Parham’s family provides comfort and connection, while Don Quixote’s companions offer contrasting perspectives.

The Crossing, Don Quixote, and Pedro Paramo stand as literary masterpieces that transcend time and cultural boundaries. Their exploration of human nature and the indomitable spirit of adventure provide enduring reflections on the human condition. As we follow the paths of Billy Parham, Don Quixote and Juan Preciado, we are reminded of the interconnectedness of all journeys, both physical and metaphysical, and the profound impact they have on shaping our lives. 

Ultimately, these works exemplify the human instincts to search for answers, even in seemingly desolate places, leading to unique and profound experiences. They remind us of the significance of human connections and the transformative power of our quests for meaning and understanding.