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Benjamin Tobin is the tritagonist in the late Cormac McCarthy's 1985 horror/thriller crime and anti-Western epic novel Blood Meridian. He serves as a guide and to the Kid for most of the story, especially in regards to the Judge.
Biography[]
Not much is known about Tobin prior to the events of the novel other than the fact that he was a priest for a period of time before turning to scalp hunting alongside Glanton's Gang. He is a very religious man who often refutes Judge Holden's philosophy on God and war, although the Judge always seems to have the last laugh in their debates.
Tobin is seen many times throughout the novel, serving as one of the main members of the Glanton Gang, alongside Glanton himself, Toadvine, David Brown, the Kid, and the Judge.
After Glanton's death, leaving only a few members of the gang left, Tobin's paranoia about the Judge continues to grow, and it gets to the point where he lies to the Kid to tell him that the Judge has killed both Brown and Toadvine, in an attempt to make the Kid fight alongside him to kill the Judge.
A battle soon breaks out between the Judge and Tobin and the Kid, as the Judge holds two rifles and is dodging every shot fired at him. Tobin gets wounded in the neck, forcing him and the Kid to flee. He is later arrested alongside the Kid, and his fate afterwards is not specifically stated, although it is implied that the Judge may be responsible for his death.
Trivia[]
- Judge Holden's interactions with Tobin could be reflective of the Judge's appearance in the opening chapter, where he manipulated a crowd into killing a local priest.
External Link[]
- Ben Tobin on the Blood Meridian Wiki