Blood Meridian's Ending Explained

The ending of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian is one of the most iconic and discussed in the history of American Literature. Today, I will break down the epilogue from a divergent lens and tackle the ultimate meaning of Blood Meridian's ending!

✨Join the Cormac McCarthy Course Here! ✨(Ten hour Orchard Keeper Course Inside)
(Orchard Keeper streetwear is here)

📕 My favorite books on Cormac McCarthy 📘

[earinafield]

Regarding mirrors. Have you noticed the instances of mirroring in No Country For ? Moss's is compelled to GO BACK to make something right: bringing water to the man in the truck. He's hurt badly for this. Chigur GOES BACK to take care of Moss's wife, and he's hurt badly for it. No one seems to attach much significance to this mirror, but I think it's important. They both felt compelled to take care of unfinished business; they didn't have to. They chose to. Thoughts?

[trouble]

I disagree with your dismissal of Blood Meridian as not Christian. It is very Christian to me. The epilogue especially.

(Gnosticism has many Christian ideas including "knowledge of God" which seems to be distinct and possibly counter to any other knowledge). It is a paradox.

Which is why I appreciate a gnostic reading which you are providing and your thoughts. Knowledge you think as a gnostic is the path to freedom or truth but Judge Holden the most knowledgeable character refutes this. Knowledge is not good. Whereas the man on the plain making progress with the two handed implement is a character to challenge the Judge and his primary feature is not knowledge but divinity. God is clearly present in the novel.

The other epigraph from the Yuma newspaper about the fossils and the archeologists also suggests there is nothing to learn in the behaviour of man. The truth is in the rock. The Judge says the rocks are dead and blood is the mortar but the man striking fire out of the rocks shows God is in the very rocks.

McCarthy ends his often bleak narratives with some high hopeful poetry. It is very Christian. A teleology of love and redemption. He will be with you every step of the way.

[robbykurle]

Petra Mundik's analysis and work on Gnosticism in McCarthy's writing is unbelievable. It's amazing how hard she is to find. I've spent years off and on hunting for more work from her in the end could only get my hands on a couple writings in gnostic literary journals and an interview in a podcast (Aeon Byte). Incidentally her few appearances sit in my mind as among the best McCarthy scholarship and I probably return to them two or three times a year. You two discussing McCarthy would make my head explode.

[nounxyz]

Great stuff. I think the cold forger and his counterfeit coins are slightly mirroring the challenge Jesus gave to us in his famous quote: “Whose name is on the coin.? Caesar. Then render under Caesar what is his and give unto God what is his…

[petercheney]

I thought the guy with the post hole digger represented the fencing in of the west.
when you talk about mirrors, does Holden appearing in the middle of nowhere, alone on a rock, mirror the kid meeting the hermit?

[SharonCorbett]

@madlynx as a general observation only, I've found those who dismiss anything out of hand - with no substantiating reason other than (as you so eloquently put it) "its lame af" more indicitive of you than the work you so readily dismiss...at least give an intelligent, robust reason, not just your dismissive opinion...that, at least, gives others the opportunity to respond to something. Tell us why you think BM failed as a work of literature - not just that it did (as I said - thats an opinion, not a review of substance)...or was this your intention? The Judge would be smiling ear to ear at the thought...

[giantmonsterman]

Ah yes Time is indeed a flat circle. War endures sadly.

[LukeLongboneOfficial]

Toadvine & Tobin.
Anton (Chigur) & Ed Tom (Bell)
Judge = Cormac

[theschmidy]

I feel like this might be better titled "epilogue explained" or something. I came here looking for a rather different discussion, about the Judge and the Kid and the bear and the dancing and undying. I sill enjoyed it, but it took a little too long for me to realize that this was not what I set out to find.

[Bugtortoise]

Not going to watch this video because I'm at the very end of Blood Merician right now. Incredible piece of work. I just wanted to point out the one funny thing I remember reading - laughed out loud once until now, from this back and forth between The Kid who is now The Man, talking to a group of boys visiting his camp. The boys are talking about the town of Griffin TX and how it is "plumb full of whores" and one boy says to ther others that it's so full of whores that "They say you can get clapped a day's ride out when the wind is right." Come on, that shit is funny.

[madlynx]

Blood Meridian was about the lamest book I’ve ever. It had no point, no insights into psychology or philosophy, the violence was gratuitous and people are bending over backwards to make this book seem poignant or meaningful. It’s not is blows, it’s boring as eff. If you want a really good read that goes over that basic timeframe read Lonesome Dove, it’s amazing, or any Louis L’Amour book for a good western read. Don’t know where the hype came from!