Alejandra and McTeague: connected through image of blood

When discussing McTeague, we spoke about the tension between civilization and animality in reference to McTeague as representative of new west vs. old west. I saw a connection between McTeague and All the Pretty Horses because the old West/new West dichotomy in each is drawn together by images of blood. 

In All the Pretty Horses, blood is established as a symbol of the west. It is inherent in the landscape itself -- made clear by McCarthy's descriptions of the "blood red" sunsets and in characters' actions. During Alejandra's affair with John Grady, she embodies the Western spirit, acting more as the cowboy than John Grady or than the traditional 'damsel in distress' type that you might expect her to play. Alejandra “[draws] blood with her teeth where he held the heel of his hand against her mouth so that she not cry out” (McCarthy 142). She symbolizes the West that John Grady sought to find in leaving America. She draws blood; she shows her brutishness in the face of a force that works to silence her -- literally and metaphorically. She represents the rough-and-tough spirit of the Old West.

In McTeague, Marcus draws blood from McTeague, and this blood acts as the impetus for his inner beast which lurked very close to the surface to emerge. McTeague as a whole represents a more modern West, but still the act of violence incites the brutish West to emerge.