The solitary pilgrim drawn up before it had traveled far to be here and he knelt in the hot sand and held his numbed hands out while all about in that circle attended companies of lesser auxiliaries routed forth into the inordinate day, small owls that crouched silently and stood from foot to foot and tarantulas and solpugas and vinegarroons and the vicious mygale spiders and beaded lizards with mouths black as a chowdog's, deadly to man, and the little desert basilisks that jet blood from their eyes and the small sandvipers like seemly gods, silent and the same, in Jedda, in Babylon.
by Cormac McCarthy (0 Reviews)
In this passage, the solitary pilgrim has journeyed a great distance to reach a desolate place, kneeling on the hot sand with his cold hands outstretched. The atmosphere is filled with a variety of creatures; some are lesser beings that accompany him in this harsh environment, embodying the stark reality of survival in such an inhospitable land. These small creatures, including owls, tarantulas, and lizards, highlight the raw and often brutal aspects of nature.
The setting conveys a sense of both beauty and danger, as even the smallest beings possess lethal qualities. The imagery of deadly animals like sandvipers and mygale spiders invokes a feeling of foreboding, while the pilgrim's vulnerability contrasts with the indifference of the natural world around him. This scene exemplifies the intersection of the human experience with the unforgiving elements of the desert, as well as the profound solitude that accompanies such a journey.
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