They rode in a narrow enfillade along a trail strewn with the dry round turds of goats and they rode with their faces averted from the rock wall and the bakeoven air which it rebated, the slant black shapes of the mounted men stenciled across the stone with a definition austere and implacable like shapes capable of violating their covenant with the flesh that authored them and continuing autonomous across the naked rock without reference to sun or man or god.
In this excerpt from "Blood Meridian," Cormac McCarthy describes a tense atmosphere as riders navigate a narrow path littered with goat droppings. The oppressive heat from the rock wall distorts their surroundings, and the riders' avoidance of it suggests a desire to escape both the environment and the harsh reality they face. Their silhouettes are sharply defined against the stone, creating a striking visual of their existence, which feels detached from life, unconcerned with the influences of humanity or the divine.
This portrayal emphasizes the autonomy of these figures as they traverse the desolate landscape, almost like spectral beings crossing an indifferent terrain. The language McCarthy employs evokes a sense of bleakness and existential struggle, highlighting the struggle between existence and the harshness of the world around them. The riders appear as embodiments of a primal human experience, grappling with the unforgiving elements of nature as they maintain their resolve amidst overwhelming challenges.
