Context, Violence and Leadership in Cormac McCarthys...

Cormac McCarthy’s â€Å"Blood Meridian† does a marvelous job of highlighting the violent nature of mankind. The underlying cause of this violent nature can be analyzed from three perspectives, the first being where the occurrence of violence takes place, the second man’s need to be led and the way their leader leads them, and lastly whether violence is truly an innate and inherent characteristic in man. Cormac McCarthy once said, â€Å"I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone can live in harmony is a really dangerous idea.† (Overview) This quote leaves us with the impression that humanity as a whole is innately violent, and we will explore this idea by examining â€Å"Blood Meridian.† This paper consists of three†¦show more content†¦The question to ask is what caused the West to be such a formidable location? The first theory to explore is that which states the land â€Å"Blood Meridian† took p lace in, Southwest America and Mexico, caused an absence of responsibility, which then caused the violent acts. In â€Å"Blood Meridian† massacres occur almost daily, yet civilization is neither built up nor hurt because there is no civilization to break down. (Kiefer) At the beginning of the book, The Kid has been brought to Captain White to be interviewed for a spot in the company. Captain White exclaims to the Kid, â€Å"There is no government in Mexico. Hell, there’s no God in Mexico. Never will be.† (Blood Meridian 36) While this statement may be the byproduct of racism on Captain White’s part, there is no doubt that some part of this statement holds true. On many occasions the gang of scalp-hunters engage in illegal behavior in Mexico and are met by little law enforcement. For three weeks the gang of Americans make Chihuahua city theirs, feasting, drinking and whoring. It becomes so bad that the locals write on walls of the city, â€Å"Mejor Los In dios.† This translates to, â€Å"Better the Indians.† (Schopen) Of course the gang encountered little to no resistance during their three-week takeover of the city, proving the