Blood Meridian

Nature is a constant feature in Blood Meridian. As much as the characters are at war with one another, they are at war with the environment they inhabit. Nature is presented as a powerful, intimidating force rather than a romantic, comforting source of beauty. Holden outlines this difference through his meticulous documentation of everything he finds in the natural world. He takes notes about wildlife and geology as he passes through the world. Everything is documented in his notebook, but not because he believes his findings to be beautiful or interesting. He documents the natural world as a form of control and domination. To Holden, nature is a powerful force that threatens his existence and the existence of humanity. Even the smallest crumb, animal, or blade of grass can overpower humanity, he believes, if it is not properly dominated. Holden’s interest in nature is a sign of respect. Even a figure as powerful and as violent as Holden recognizes that nature must be respected and watched due to its innate power.

At times, the natural world overpowers the human world. Bulls gore horses; mules slip off mountainsides; grizzly bears drag away men on horseback, and the dry, arid desert is a deathtrap for anyone who does not have requisite supplies. In these moments, the humans are helpless. They can do nothing to make the desert wet and the attempts to track down the bear end in failure. For all the violence that takes place between humans, the violence from nature is particularly one-sided. Glanton’s gang kills Native Americans and then Glanton himself is killed by the same Native Americans he betrayed. However, no one can triumph over the desert. Even Holden is forced to change if he wants to survive in the harsh conditions: he dresses himself in clothes made from raw meat and a hat made from mud to protect himself from the blistering conditions as he chases the kid through the desert. Holden recognizes the overpowering brutality of nature, which is why he makes such careful attempts to document the world, learn science, and give himself the tools needed to face up to the power of nature.

The more time characters spend in the natural world, the more violent they become. Glanton’s gang is dominated by the natural world and it reflects this violence to the people it encounters. For every violent act visited against the gang members, they turn the violence back against people. Glanton shoots cats, chickens, and goats while testing his new pistols and, soon enough, his men are dragging themselves through a brutal environment that may kill them. They take the pain they feel and turn their anger against any Native Americans they encounter. The more they suffer in the natural world, the more they punish other humans. The cycle of increasing violence perpetrated by Glanton’s gang is an illustration of the powerlessness of humanity in the face of nature. There is no way for Glanton to take out his pain and suffering on the natural world, so he turns his anger against other humans. People are made to suffer because he and his men suffered at the hands of nature. The world portrayed in Blood Meridian is a tough and inhospitable natural environment. In this world, the pain inflicted by nature becomes a key part of the people who inhabit the world. Men like Glanton do not understand the natural world, so the testing conditions turn them even crueler. As Holden predicted, the natural world dominates Glanton and turns him into the worst version of himself, as it does with his men. Nature, as portrayed in the novel, tests humanity and, in most cases, shows people the worst versions of themselves.