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Anthropomorphism
Dialect
Explanation and Analysis—Diverse Dialects:
The dialect spoken by the characters in Blood Meridian varies depending on the speaker, as would be expected in a story that takes place all over North America. Spanish is frequently spoken by the Mexican characters, and the kid even picks up rudimentary Spanish on his travels. This differing dialect, which many readers themselves won't be able to understand, renders the Mexicans "other," establishing them as wholly different from the American travelers they encounter.
A similar othering occurs in moments when the Mexican characters speak English, with McCarthy often employing a noticeably broken English dialect that highlights the fact that English is not their first language. One such example is the leader of the Mexican bandits who gives the kid and Sproule water and then tells the allegory of the lamb and the wolf.
Meanwhile, the dialect of the Americans is equally noticeable, with McCarthy's writing portraying them as having a southern drawl. This dialect conveys the genre of the story— western-inspired historical fiction—as well as the setting of the American southwest and the time period, the 1850s.
The dialect of the Judge, meanwhile, stands out as wholly different from the rest of the characters. The Judge is erudite, with an advanced diction and rhetoric and the ability to speak multiple languages fluently. Juxtaposed against the dialect of the other characters, the Judge's dialect stands out, elevating his status to near-mythical. His advanced diction and rhetoric also highlights his frequent lying, creating moments where he quite literally talks circles around the other characters.
