Blood Meridian Rites Of Passage

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The Harsh Requirements of Admittance
Does the type of society dictate the different transitional phases in one’s life? In Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, this question is indirectly investigated through the complex life story of the Kid and his eventual conversion into the Man. The milestones that create this transformation are referred to as rites of passage, which are illustrated in this novel through the act of killing, the persistent drinking, and the strong vibe of independency. Rites of passage are defined as a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone’s life. It is due to the portrayed 1840-1850s western “cowboy” society that has made these factors different forms of rites of passage that allows the Kid to become the Man, or a member of society.
Each society has its own way as to determining whether or not some events may be rites of passage while other events may not. A traditional cowboy society is one that includes a community of men who ride on horseback to herd animals. This type of society is in itself very competitive. Since there is a lack of women, there is a sensation for the need to be dominant over another male. It is simply put that there are similarities between “men of god and men of war” (McCarthy 258). This comparison helps to point out that it is within a man’s nature to be warlike. In addition, it condones this naturally aggressive type of behavior because men are directly related to God – a religious figure. The choice is to fight for a better position or to be passive and die out. During the mid-1840s, this type of society also embraces the ideology of westward expansion, or Manifest Destiny. In fact, one of the characters who is hoping to move westward supports his desire by claimin...

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...to be independent and not rely on others. Running away from home is what allows the Kid to join a scalp-hunting company and ultimately travel west. Therefore, alcohol contributes to the Kid’s practice of Manifest Destiny. Clearly, the Kid’s growing habit of drinking greatly aids the two other rites of passage needed to achieve in order to become a full member of cowboy society.
As one can see, murder, self-rule, and the consumption of alcohol each act as their own rite of passage that allows the Kid to integrate himself into the traditional cowboy society, which represents aspects of societal belligerence and the desire to expand west. It is not until the Kid becomes a full member of this society that he is called the Man. It is interesting to discover the different types of actions that must be taken by a person in order to have a position in a certain society.

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