April 26, 2010 Blog Chapter 13

The judge's power and respect is emphasized before the banquet when the governor actually stands up just to shake the judge's hand. Also, judge had a suit made for him in just a few hours from entire bolts of cloth and a hat that was made from two hats so carefully put together that one could not tell.

After the "celebration," McCarthy describes the governor's power over the banditos as "like the sorcerer's apprentice who could indeed provoke the imp to do his will but could in no way make him cease again." If the governor is the apprentice, who is the master? I think it's the judge, in all his superior intellect. Quite a change had taken place in just three days: "when they rode out three days later the streets stood empty, not even a dog followed them to the gates."

Glanton's moments on the border. I haven't seen many westerns, but this sounds like a clique type of scene. What most caught my attention in this section was how McCarthy described him. "His shadow grew long before him ...He would not follow."

McCarthy's diction in telling what the Americans did changes on pg. 173: "In three days they would fall upon a band of peaceful Tiguas camped on the river and slaughter them all every soul." He says it in future tense, which is an interesting change. Besides catching me off guard, it gives me a more clear sense of passing time. After the "slaughter," McCarthy says "The desert wind would salt their ruins and there would be nothing, nor ghost nor scribe, to tell to any pilgrim in his passing how it was that people had lived in this place and in this place died." Another example of McCarthy's theme of "if there is no evidence, it never happened."

The last sentence, the sentence to which the alternative title comes from I think, "...toward the red demise of that day, toward the evening lands and the distant pandemonium of the sun." This also foreshadows what will happen in the future, "pandemonium" in the "evening lands."

About what Patrick said about judge: he never shows his strength before this chapter. That's true, I think. Where was he during the battles and fights? Another thing I found about the judge, on page 176 (seems to be a very eventful page) it says "Sparks from the fire ran down the wind" This was said as the judge was crossing before the men gathered. It's kind of eerie that the fire would change just as he was passing by. A candle I can understand being affected, but a campfire big enough for several men? hmm.... Maybe another demonic or satanic reference? perhaps? idk...