| Ever since its publication, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian has caused a lot of controversy among critics. Some delve into its historical authenticity and hold that it is a criticism of American imperialism. Some study it from philosophical aspect, arguing that it is a reflection of the ideology of divine determinism. Some make character analyses on the kid and Judge Holden, relating their behaviors to historical and social background. Besides, the extreme violence in Blood Meridian is a frequently debated topic among critics. Some analyze violence by means of historicizing it against the social background of American imperialism; some state that violence in the novel is part of human nature. This thesis endeavors to interpret violence in Blood Meridian from the perspective of ecocriticism. By probing into the natural, social and spiritual ecological crises in this novel and their respective influences on violence, this thesis argues that ecological crises are the root of violence in Blood Meridian.Under the framework of Lu Shuyuan’s trichotomy of ecology, this thesis finds that there are three kinds of ecological crises mirrored in the novel—natural ecological crisis, social ecological crisis and spiritual ecological crisis. Natural ecological crisis in this novel is shown in the hostile nature. Social ecological crisis is embodied in the mercenaries’ wild pursuit of economic interests, estrangement between father and son, and alienation between people. Spiritual ecological crisis is manifested in the mercenaries’distorted spiritual state which finds expression in spiritual emptiness, war worship and alienation between man and his inner world. These ecological crises result in violence between man and nature and between man and man. Therefore, this thesis comes to the conclusion that ecological crises are the root of violence in Blood Meridian. This thesis strongly suggests that people be ecologically conscious and maintain a balanced ecology so as to eradicate violence. |
PDF Full Text Request