In the first paragraph, McCarthy uses this here simile: "Like a patrol condemned to ride out some ancient curse." He is describing the group riding over the weeks, rarely speaking and having zero fun. Erp, I don't know if you guys like The Lord of the Rings (and I can't say I've actually read the books. I'm just a big fan of the movies and the whole world Tolkein created, but that's neither here nor there), but there's an army of undead folk who are cursed with eternal life until they fulfill a promise they made however many millennia ago. But the simile here reminds of the Lord of the Rings situation. They are forced to ride around, (seemingly) forever. They are so drained of life they don't even want to talk.
And more of the title! "They eyed the sun in its circus and at dusk they rode out upon the cooling plain where the western sky was the color of blood," (McCarthy 152) We said earlier that meridian can also mean horizon; something like that. So there it is, folks. The blood horizon. Only I think he should've used this opportunity to use the title in the book because I think we all get pretty excited when we see the title in the book.
I was... surprised (yeah that word sucks) when I read about the argonauts. I'll paraphrase and say "They got their penises shoved in their mouths." Funny enough, I had imagined something similar happening at some point in the book. Not quite spot on, but I did picture the Johnson/Wang on the face. I won't go into detail, but just imagine a rhinoceros if you will. So yeah, that's really the nastiest thing that could even happen (until McCarthy decides he wants something more disgusting). So then the guys decide to "lay down to sleep amongst the dead." I saw this as foreshadowing, and the guys' lack of... really the lack of everything we know today. Nobody (save one or two really weird folks) would lay down to sleep next to dead guys with junk in their mouths.
The guys are about to charge the thousands of Apache, and Glanton says "If we don't kill every [black guy] here we need to be whipped and sent home." So, I guess "sent home" is a euphemism for "sloddered, raped and have genitals put in your mouth." Sent home is definitely more appealing and it seems like the guys in the group try to make light of everything. Thing is, if they didn't, they would most likely go insane. Living your life knowing that within the next hour your best friends' dead balls are in your mouth is no way to live life. Better to just say "things might not be too good."
I'll spare talking about the fight because I'm sure everyone else will, and there's really not too much to say, other than "wow." But there are more fights that aren't described at all. The men have several more stands with the indians but there's little more detail than "they shot two of 'em." I guess that's all we really need to know though. I mean, much more and it would just seem overdone and cheesy.
I'd like to talk about my title now. Judge screams NAMBLA. He picks up the little kid. He's probably fondling the little kid while no one's looking (or maybe everyone sees and he doesn't care. Who knows?) and playing with him and all that. The kid is specified as "boy," however he is referred to as an "it." I guess this is to continue the comparison of Apaches and animals. It doesn't matter if it's a he or she. It's a savage. And when judge is all done with his sexual fantasies he has to kill the boy and get his scalp. Judge wins twice!
This is just to remind me in class: discuss page 153 middle paragraph and page 162-163.
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