Blood Meridian Violence Quotes

How we cite our quotes:

Quote #1

"A rattling drove of arrows passed through the company and men tottered and dropped from their mounts" (4.79).

We get one of our first tastes of brutal violence in chapter 4 of this book, when a band of Apaches attacks the small army of Captain White and brutally wipes them out. And you'd better get ready for a whole lot more.

Quote #2

"In this container with hair afloat and eyes turned upward in a pale face sat a human head" (5.159).

Hey, that's not a pickle. Yup, the Mexicans have chopped off Captain White's head and put it in a jar. They might just enjoy the spectacle of it, but the gesture is no doubt a warning to any other white Americans who plan on messing with Mexico.

Quote #3

"The cat simply disappeared. There was no blood or cry, it just vanished" (7.4).

McCarthy is a fan of big guns, and so is the character Glanton. In this scene, we expect a lot of blood and gore when Glanton shoots a cat. But his gun is so powerful that the cat just disappears. When you think about it, there's something so much more violent about this image, as though the gun simply wiped the cat from existence altogether. Poor kitty.