I just started reading Blood Meridan for the first time and I was kinda shocked to see the casual use of one of the worst slurs in the English language. I’m just wondering if this is a Huckleberry Finn thing and “justified” in some way? Or more like a Pulp Fiction situation where Tarantino seemed to throw it in there just because he could? Because honestly, I know this is close to being a modern-day classic but there are a lot of amazing books out there I’ve not yet read and I don’t know if it’s worth it to pollute my brain like that or just move on to something else.
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Edited to add: I went in without knowing what the book was about or the time period it was set in. I thought I’d just ask to get people’s thoughts on it before I pushed through.
by Squirrely_Jackson
26 Comments
Language is essential to building character and tone, even and especially vulgar and offensive language. A book about soldiers will quite often need to use the language that soldiers use. Similarly, a book about a racist murderer will likely need to use language that a racist murderer would use.
Language in service of the story is how it’s supposed to be.
You’re ok with the graphic depictions of gore and racial violence, but writing out a slur in text is the part that goes too far?
Nope, it’s a stark cynical (not necessarily wrong) representation of the effects of manifest destiny. The book is accepted because they aren’t supposed to be heroes. This isn’t even the book of his to raise your hackles over. Things get really murky if you read Suttree.
The language is far from the most shocking thing in that book.
It’s about terrible evil people and doesn’t shy from presenting that.
I’m mixed race. I and quite a few other black folks would consider it okay due to the time period the novel takes place in. At that time and with those characters, that word would flow like water and they wouldn’t give it a second thought
If you find the book upsetting or unpleasant, skip it and read something else. We don’t have to consume media simply because some folks decided it’s “a modern-day classic”.
There’s not enough time in life to spend leisure time reading books that aren’t doing it for you. 🙂
If that word in an acclaimed and serious work of fiction bothers you, then you should read something else. The usage is not gratuitous, just as it’s not in Huckleberry Finn (a profoundly good book).
Critics aren’t always right, of course, but the consensus view is that the novel is a masterpiece:
“Blood Meridian initially received little recognition, but has since been recognized as a masterpiece and one of the greatest works of American literature. Some have called it the Great American Novel. American literary critic Harold Bloom praised Blood Meridian as one of the 20th century’s finest novels. Aleksandar Hemon has called it “possibly the greatest American novel of the past 25 years”. David Foster Wallace named it one of the five most underappreciated American novels since 1960 and “[p]robably the most horrifying book of this [20th] century, at least [in] fiction.” (Wikipedia)
I would argue that the word is justified because the artist used it. Your opinion may well be different.
McCarthy was intending to make a brutally realistic western, with no romanticism or idealism that usually associated with the genre. America used to be horribly racist until just relatively recently, and the book reflects that.
Partly it’s historical accuracy. And the characters are bad people, happy to murder the innocent, and not the type to mind their language. Please consider this book is *very* violent, and so may “pollute your brain” with depravity other than offensive words. If you are young, then this classic may be better to read when you are older. I know it’s quite popular at the moment, but don’t let FOMO pressure you into reading something that you’re not ready for yet.
Here’s a thought for you. There’s nothing inherently wrong with words. It’s the intent behind the words that makes a difference.
This book uses the word in a way that fits the fictionalized version of the period its set in. Feel free to hate the characters using the word but it’s ridiculous to act like words work like mentioning Voldemort or the candyman.
Because every character in Blood Meridian is an asshole. No one is worth redemption. They were racists and genocidists and murderers and lawless anarchists who pretend to be civilized. Without words like that, the whole point of the book would be lost.
It helps show they’re depravity and how they view any POC as that word.
They do a lot worse than just saying the n-word.
Many people here are missing your point, but I agree with you. I think we do need to engage in historical revisionism and make it so slavery and racism wasn’t a thing in the US.
I think that if more people thought like you and me a lot of issues in today’s society just wouldn’t exist.
This is just sad. Move on
All the main characters are members of a murderous band of racist scalp hunters. They kill people and animals on whims. It’s set in the US/Mexico border area in the late 1840s to early 1850s. The use of the N word is accurate to the characters and the time period unfortunately.
The only book that I’ve read that has included the n-word where it wasn’t used well was Freakonomics and that’s because it wasn’t from a fictional character, and also it was an audiobook so it came out of nowhere. Pretty much every other time it’s spoken by characters that are portrayed as horrible, racist people.
Do you honestly think that a writer like McCarthy is throwing it in “just because he could”?
The word is there because that’s how his characters think and speak, and the prose is often a reflection of the character the prose is focusing on.
It’s there for a reason. Depiction is not endorsement.
It’s just a word.
This perspective is so interesting and very reflective of people looking at racism as a thing of the past.
I can promise that you know multiple people who are still very comfortable using that word. Maybe not around you, because you’re one of those “woke people”, but they definitely use it.
Racism is alive and well, and the n word is the least of it. To completely dismiss anything that uses the word and to act as if it isn’t still in many people’s vocabulary is not as progressive as you might think.
I better not see your own post on r/bookscirclejerk later.
That book is so fucked up that somehow I didn’t even notice.
It’s a book.
“Pollute your brain?” If you can’t handle morally bad characters and situations just read something else. I can’t believe this needs to be said, but Blood Meridian is not a morality tale
I was rereading blood Meridian and finished it just now I don’t have a take on the post but god what an amazing book
I’m ok with the killing of babies but I I cannot tolerate the use of a derogatory term. I will not allow my brain to be polluted like that. That’s where I draw the line.