As war becomes dishonored and its nobility called into question those honorable men who recognize the sanctity of blood will become excluded from the dance, which is the warrior's right, and thereby will the dance become a false dance, and the dancers false dancers. And yet there will be one there always who is a true dancer and can you guess who that might be?...Only that man who has offered up himself entire to the blood of war, who has been to the floor of the pit and seen horror in the round and learned at last that it speaks to his inmost heart, only that man can dance.
In "Blood Meridian," Cormac McCarthy presents a vision of war that challenges traditional notions of honor and nobility. As society begins to view warfare with disdain, the warriors who understand the significance of bloodshed find themselves excluded from the true essence of battle. This disconnect transforms the act of fighting into a hollow spectacle, where authenticity is lost, and those who participate become mere pretenders.
However, amidst this existential crisis of warfare, there exists a singular individual capable of genuine representation in this "dance" of violence. This person is the one who has wholly committed himself to the brutal realities of conflict, confronting the depths of horror and ultimately finding a profound connection with it. Only he, who embraces the primal truth of war, can truly dance in its grim arena, embodying the raw and unfiltered experience of battle.
