What the White man had won with so much blood and dishonesty was not the living land of the Red man, but the corpse of that land. It was decay that the White man won. It would turn to dust in his hands, Alvin knew it.

Summary

This quote suggests that the White man's conquest of the land belonging to the Red man was not a victory, but rather a loss. The land that was won through violence and deceit is described as a dead and decaying entity, devoid of life and authenticity. The speaker, Alvin, understands that this conquest will ultimately crumble and disintegrate, leaving nothing but emptiness in the hands of the White man. The quote highlights the destructive nature of colonization and the consequential loss of the true essence of the land.

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