Before he reached the door the old man called to him again. The boy turned and stood. The matrix will not help you, the old man said. He said to catch the wolf the boy should find that place where the acts of God and those of man are of one piece. Where they cannot be distinguished... The old man said that it was not a question of finding such a place but rather of knowing it when it presented itself. He said that it was at such places that God sits and conspires in the destruction of that which he has been at such pains to create.
In Cormac McCarthy's "The Crossing," an old man imparts wisdom to a young boy about the nature of existence and the interplay between divine and human actions. He suggests that to overcome challenges, such as catching a wolf, the boy must recognize a certain place where God's will and human intention align seamlessly. This knowledge is not about searching for such a location but rather about awareness of its presence when it arises.
The old man's message implies a deeper philosophical understanding of life’s complexities, reminding the boy that true insight comes from recognizing these interconnected moments. These unique places symbolize a profound connection where creation and destruction coexist, illustrating a key theme in McCarthy's work about the delicate balance of nature and the human experience.
