and in the optical democracy of such landscapes all preference is made whimsical and a man and a rock become endowed with unguessed kinships.
In "Blood Meridian," Cormac McCarthy explores the complex relationship between humans and the natural world, where landscapes play a crucial role in shaping experiences and perceptions. The idea of optical democracy suggests that in these vast terrains, all preferences seem arbitrary, leading to a certain whimsy in how one perceives their surroundings. This perspective indicates that even mundane elements, like a man and a rock, can share an unexpected kinship based...