Blood Meridian

Blood Meridian, a 1985 historical fiction novel by Cormac McCarthy, is one of the most celebrated works of modern American literature. The novel was inspired by people and events of the mid-19th century in the borderlands of the United States and Mexico. McCarthy’s works have won many honors including the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize. Blood Meridian is often considered his greatest novel. This guide uses an eBook version of the 1992 First Vintage International edition. Please note that Blood Meridian contains graphic violence, racism, prejudice, and the use of offensive language in reference to race and parentage. This study guide places problematic language in quotation marks.

Plot Summary

The protagonist of Blood Meridian is referred to only as the kid (and, later, as the man). The kid is born in Tennessee in 1833 during a meteor shower. His mother dies during childbirth, and he is raised by a father who is abusive and has alcoholism. Eventually becoming tired of life at home, he runs away at the age of 14. Traveling west, he works menial jobs and earns enough money to survive. He gets into occasional fights and becomes accustomed to violence.