Seth answers “Why no quotation marks and inconsistent...”

Anance asked this question about Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West:

Why no quotation marks and inconsistent use of apostrophes?

Seth I believe it makes the text visually pure, so that there is little difference between the dialog and the action. What they say matters little compared…moreI believe it makes the text visually pure, so that there is little difference between the dialog and the action. What they say matters little compared to what they do, which is to be agents of death and war. Quotation marks make the dialog look more important as if more special, than the action. But the dialog in Blood Meridian intentionally reveals little about the characters because the narrative is more focused on depicting overall "dance" of war that mankind participates in and less the individuality of the characters. Lack of quotation marks de-emphasizes personal agency and emphasizes the action of war as man's inevitable destiny.(less)

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Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West

by Cormac McCarthy

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