American Literature Themes

There are two American literature themes that I think are quite relevant to “All the Pretty Horses.”

First, the theme of innocence to awareness can be seen everywhere in American literature, including in this book. As I have discussed before, this book is a coming-to-age story. John Grady starts out knowing nothing about life but wanting to know more. You could easily say he was “innocent” at the beginning of the story. Throughout his journey, he encounters love, violence, and death. These encounters force him to grow up at the age of sixteen. He left home a boy, but he returns a man. Using the same quote before, Grady even realizes his loss of innocence when he says, “It was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they’d have no heart to start at all” (284). He didn’t know all the horrible things life could give him before he set out, but now he does. In the end of the book, John Grady Cole is a completely different person from the beginning. This idea of taking on a journey in which a person grows up and loses their innocence is very common in American Literature.

Another common theme in American Literature is the hero. In American Literature the “evil” this hero often fights is not typically a person or a thing; it is society as a whole. In “All the Pretty Horses” we can see this on an even larger scale: Individual vs. World. In the book, Grady fights the limitations, cruelty, and prejudice the world puts on him. He cannot have the one girl he loves. He is looked down upon for being a poor young boy. And lastly, he is treated very cruelly throughout the book, despite his tender age. He fights for his life, and it is against society that he is fighting. However, Grady seems to put himself against the world- and life itself- rather than society. “He imagined the pain of the world to be like some formless parasitic being seeking out the warmth of human souls” (256). To him, he isn’t fighting anything, but merely finding the truths of life. If it were society he was fighting, it could be changed. But you can’t change the way life is, at least in Grady’s eyes. And because this is how Grady views it, he is a tragic hero.

Symbols/Motifs

Blood

Blood is an important symbol and reoccurring element in “All the Pretty Horses”. Blood symbolizes the cost John Grady Cole pays for everything he loves. It also represents the world and helps to define the beauty it has, despite the contrast in violence and beauty. The tragedy of the world is what makes it beautiful. There are three things John Grady loves that he pays for in blood: Alejandra, horses, and his life.

“Drawing blood with her teeth where he held the heel of his hand against her mouth that she not cry out.”

Here, we see the image of blood. During their forbidden affair, John Grady is using his hand to make sure Alejandra keeps quiet while they are making love. They cannot get caught, and he knows that they must be quiet to be sure of this. In turn, Alejandra bites down on his hand to silence his passion. This causes him to bleed. This is a one example of how he paid for their love in blood.

“He looked down at his leg. His trousers were dark with blood and there was blood on the ground. He felt numb and strange but he felt no pain.”

This is right after John Grady has been shot when he is getting back Blevin’s horse at the end of the book. He has been shot and is bleeding excessively. He once again is paying for his love- this time of horses- with blood. He has become accustomed to this idea of getting hurt, and in turn, he no longer feels the pain.

“From the red buotonniere blossoming on the left pocket of his blue workshirt there spurted a thin fan of bright arterial blood.”

While Grady is in prison, he gets into a fight where he ends up killing another man. He is badly hurt and later regrets killing, but he did it to survive. In order to survive, Grady has to endure pain and blood. His pays for his survival in blood, once again.

Sunset

The sunset seems to show up when things are coming to an end. In the beginning of the book, after Grady’s grandfather dies and he is planning on leaving, we see the sunset. “The wind was much abated and it was very cold and the sun sat blood red and elliptic under the reefs of bloodred cloud before him.” This symbolizes the end of his childhood in his familiar home.

We once again see the sunset in the end: “There were few cattle in that country because it was a barren country indeed yet he came at evening upon a solitary bull rolling in the dust against the bloodred sunset like an animal in sacrificial torment.” This sunset symbolizes the end of his journey and all that he had fought for. He is done fighting for his love, and now he is going to start a new journey.

Religion

Religion is a reoccurring element throughout the book. God and his implications on the world are often discussed. These instances were very interesting, because they contrasted the usual simple meaningless dialogue the characters tended to have. Religion is important because it symbolizes not only the journey Grady is undertaking, but also his attempt to define life and the world around him.

Horses

Horses are very important in this book. They are what keep Grady going in life, and they also define him as a person. Grady connects horses with humans, often making horses superior to the human. "Finally he said that among men there was no such communion as among horses and the notion that men can be understood at all was probably an illusion." Grady wishes humans could be like horses.

Horses also tell us a lot out Grady as a character. “The horse had a good natural gait and as he rode he talked to it and told it things about the world that were true in his experience to see how they would sound if they were said. He told the horse why he liked it and why he’d chosen it to be his horse and he said that he would allow no harm to come to it.” Not only does this quote show us Grady’s love and passion for horses, but it shows us how he is lonely and alone in the world. He tells the horse his life story, because there is no person he trusts to tell it to. The horse is sacred to Grady, and we see this through his conversation, thoughts and dreams throughout the book.

Final Reaction

In the end of the book, John Grady Cole has nothing; He has lost his dad, his love, his innocence, and even his country. He doesn’t know who he is or what defines him. The end is actually quite depressing. “It was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they’d have no heart to start at all” (284). Here, we see that Cole is disappointed in what he found in the world. The pain and suffering he endured wasn’t worth it in the end.

However, there is a little hope, as I have discussed earlier. Using the same quote, “He remembered Alejandra and the sadness he'd first seen in the slope of her shoulders which he'd presumed to understand and of which he knew nothing and he felt a loneliness he'd not known since he was a child and he felt wholly alien to the world although he loved it still. He thought that in the beauty of the world were hid a secret. He thought the world's heart beat at some terrible cost and that the world's pain and its beauty moved in a relationship of diverging equity and that in this headlong deficit the blood of multitudes might ultimately be exacted for the vision of a single flower,” We can see that Cole is still hopeful in that the world will someday show him it’s beauty. The last sentence of the book reads, “Passed and paled into the darkening land, the world to come.” The dark imagery in this sentence makes it feel depressing, but then it also hopeful in that Cole is once again facing this world that has given him such a hard time.

John Grady left his home as a lost boy, but he comes home not only as a man, but also as a hero. Cole took on a journey in which he lost his innocence along with other important things. What makes him a hero? John Grady had never been exposed to the Mexican violence he saw and took part in on his journey. He had never fallen in love. He had never been on his own. But John Grady did all of this when he left home, and he did it with pride. Only once did he cry in this story, and that was at the end when he realized his father was dead. He took all the world had to offer, even though most of it wasn't what he wanted or expected. And after all his troubles, he had the strength to go on and keep searching for the beauty in the world. This makes Cole a hero.

Image Study 4

“They rode out along the fenceline and across the open pasture-land. The leather creaked in the morning cold. They pushed the horses into a lope. The light fell away behind them. They rode out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures and bore them up into the swarming stars so that they rode not under but among them and they rode at once jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric, like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing” (30).

This picture depicts the ‘ten thousand worlds for the choosing” perfectly. Cole can go anywhere, and all he needs is his horses. The horses are the only things that matter to him at the beginning of the book. However, this picture doesn’t focus on the horses. It focuses on the land-the endless land. Cole is searching for meaning of life, and this pictures shows how he has endless opportunities of where to go and what to do to find what he is looking for.

http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/books/

Image Study 3

“Lastly he said that he had seen the souls of horses and that it was a terrible thing to see. He said that it could be seen under certain circumstances attending the death of a horse because the horse shares a common soul and its seperate life only forms it out of all horses and makes it mortal. He said that if a person understood the sold of the horse then he would understand all horses that ever were" (111).

Horses are a huge focus in this book, as the title suggests. Cole sees horses as beautiful and simple, but meaningful. They have what he wishes humans had: truth. Throughout the book he often compares them to the human soul. I think this picture is a perfect representation of how horses are viewed in this book. Typically seen for their physical abilities, this picture instead focuses on the face of the horse. It is as if you are looking into its soul. You can see in the horse’s eyes that there is a story to tell. I think this image is important, because it characterizes the horse as more than just an animal, but something with a deeper meaning, as Cole views horses.

www.flickr.com/photos/ hughchal/2783858743/

Image Study 2

“He thought about Alejandra and he remembered her the first time he ever saw her passing along the cienaga road in the evening with the horse still wet from riding it in the lake” (282).

Alejandra is Grady’s obsession; everything he wants and strives for, but doesn’t get. He loves her passionately, and he often thinks of her in hard situations to calm himself down. Her free spirit and beauty leave Cole in awe. I think this pictures depicts the two things Grady loves most: the horse and Alejandra. Together, they are free and beautiful. This is what Grady pictures in his mind to get him through all the pain he finds in the world.

https://www.thestoeckleincollection.com/StoeckleinPrints.com/Stoeckleinprints/western/page5.html

Image Study 1

MRS. RUMFELT: My four images are split into four posts, please grade them all together as one. Thanks!

“He remembered Alejandra and the sadness he'd first seen in the slope of her shoulders which he'd presumed to understand and of which he knew nothing and he felt a loneliness he'd not known since he was a child and he felt wholly alien to the world although he loved it still. He thought that in the beauty of the world were hid a secret. He thought the world's heart beat at some terrible cost and that the world's pain and its beauty moved in a relationship of diverging equity and that in this headlong deficit the blood of multitudes might ultimately be exacted for the vision of a single flower” (282).

I think an important theme of the book is that sometimes what we see is not always what actually is. By the end of the book, Cole is devastated at what he has found from the world. The disappointments, the simplicity, and the harsh reality of life was not what he expected- but he still has hope. He still sees the world as beautiful, despite how horrible it has been to him. In this quote, he is saying that beauty and pain are related, and that to see one is to see the other. All the violence and blood the world has, creates the image of a ‘single flower’, beautiful but with deeper meaning. This image of a flower symbolizes the one bit of hope the book leaves us with in the end: John Grady Cole might someday find beauty in the world, even though he has only been able to witness the pain so far.

http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Nature/Flowers/wallpaper-8372-2.htm

Character Analysis

John Grady Cole (often referred to as just Grady or Cole)
“He saw very clearly how all his life led only to this moment and all after led nowhere at all. He felt something cold and soulless enter him like another being and he imagined that it smiled malignly and he had no reason to believe that it would ever leave" (254).

John Grady Cole is a sixteen year old boy running away from home, hoping to find something, anything, to define his life elsewhere. With his grandfather dead and his mother selling the only home he has ever known, Grady leaves without looking back. Especially after the death of his father in the end, Cole feels no attachment to Texas or his family, and he says, “I have no country” (299). He has nothing left to define him, and this book depicts the struggle he has to find not only the meaning of life, but his place in it.

Almost nothing is said about Cole’s physical appearance, except that he is attractive and a “ladies man” as Rawlins said. We know that Cole believes there is a wrong and right in every situation and that he values the truth at whatever cost. He is very skilled with horses as people around him can notice almost immediately. “I hear you understand horses,” (120) Cole’s boss observes. He is in love with horses, and he contrasts the human soul to horses throughout the book. (See post on importance of horses)

Throughout the book, Cole is desperately looking for something. This something is not really defined, and it seems he doesn’t even know what it is. This is a coming-to- age story, with an almost depressing end. Cole grows up and learns that life is harsh and unexpected. It leaves you with nothing, and there is no greater meaning. Life is just life. He views the world as a constant let down by saying “Between the wish and the thing the world lies waiting” (238).


Lacey Rawlins

Lacey Rawlins, Cole’s best friend, leaves home with Cole to venture into the west. Rawlins is very reasonable, trying to see the consequences of their actions ahead of time. He is usually right about his predictions of what will happen, but he never does anything to stop it. As someone on the ranch notices, Cole is the “leader of the two” (117). “I tried to reason with you, that’s all. Tried any number of times” (155), Rawlins says to Cole once they have been captured.

Rawlins is also very cautious and scared of the new surroundings. After Rawlins and Cole spend time in the prison, Rawlins is deeply affected. He cannot believe such horrible things exist in the world. Although he acts cold and cruel at times, he is deeply saddened by not only Blevin’s death, whom he has acted like he hated, but also random people at the prison. He says, “He died. When they carried him out there I thought how peculiar it would of seemed to him if he could of seen it. It did to me and it wasnt even me. Dying aint in peoples plans, is it?” (210) Rawlins often ponders about life and death and the meaning of it all. However, he is not ready to except the reality of life as Cole eventually does. Because of this, Rawlins returns home after they are freed from the prison.

Blevins

Jimmy Blevins is a thirteen year old boy who follows Cole and Rawlins on their journey. He is an interesting character, being that he is only thirteen, and he is on the run. One of the first things we see about Blevins is that he is an amazing shooter. He is able to shoot Rawlins’ wallet after it was thrown in midair. Another thing we learn about Blevins is that he doesn’t like to be made fun of. He bickers with Rawlins whenever Rawlins says something mean. When he falls out of his seat at dinner one night, he leaves the room saying, “I don’t like to be laughed at” (70). He is stubborn, and he spends the whole night and next morning hiding from those who saw his embarrassing moment.

Blevins is terrified of lightning. When a storm comes, Blevins takes all of his clothes off to avoid attracting the lightning, and he loses his horse. Because lightning killed his grandfather and uncle, he is scared it will “run in the family.” He defends his crazy reactions by saying, “You don’t know what it’s like” (89). His fears and actions demonstrate how young Blevins is.

After losing his horse, he is determined to find it or whoever found it. His stubborn, prideful, and courageous personality causes him to steal his horse back from a mexican man, claiming, “It ain’t his horse.” Blevins gets away, but he returns again to steal back his other things. This leads to his imprisonment and death. Blevin's innocent and scared age are again revealed when he is scared, repeatedly crying “What are they goin to do?” right before he is killed.

Alejandra

“Her black hair done up in a blue ribbon and the nape of her neck pale as porcelain" (123).

Being one of the only characters characterized with physical descriptions, Alejandra is seen as a beautiful, young, and fragile woman. Cole is absolutely in love with her. She too, likes horses, and Cole often envisions her riding them. Alejandra is rebellious, doing things merely because she shouldn’t or has been told not to. She sees Cole despite everybody telling her not too. She tells her dad, Cole’s boss, about their love affair, just to go against her aunt’s wishes. It is obvious she doesn’t really know who she is or whom she should listen to. Her true loyalty shows, however, when she leaves Cole in the end to go back to her father. Alejandra is not characterized much in the book, and we don’t see or hear from her as much as the other characters. Her sole purpose in the book is to be something that Cole so desperately wants- but can’t have.

Quotations and Explanations

Throughout my reading, I have highlighted certain passages or quotes that I liked or that I thought were important. I want to share a few of them and explain why I highlighted them. Once again, most of these qoutes are lacking punctuation and may be confusing out of context, but I will try to explain what it happening at the time of this quote.

“Some things in this world cant be helped.” Pg. 18
This quote was in the beginning of the book when John Grady is trying to find a way to convince his mom not to sell the ranch that has been in his family for decades. His family lawyer tells him there is nothing he can do for him; his mom wants to sell the land and she will. I think this quote is a big reason why John Grady decides to leave his family and home. There is no hope for him in Texas. He feels like there isn’t anything he can do to help his situation, so he leaves. I think it is important to realize that sometimes things are never going to change. We have to take things into our own hands and make hard decisions, like Grady did. I don’t think his running away makes him a coward; I think it makes him a hero. He is taking a huge risk, putting his life in his own hands, and growing up.

"Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it." Pg.79
Rawlins says this shortly after him and Grady have met Blevins. He is trying to convince Grady to leave Blevins behind, because he will cause them trouble later. Because he does end up causing them trouble, this makes Rawlins a very realistic character. He is looking out for himself, and he knows when to say when. Unfortunately, Grady is too kind to leave a man behind. This leads them to trouble later in the book, trouble that could have been avoided if Grady had listened to Rawlins. I also highlighted this quote because it is a good thing to know. Our decisions affect us greatly, and not always in the ways we would expect. You have to think hard about what you’re doing with you’re life, because you never know what might happen.

"Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real. The events that cause them can never be forgotten." Pg.135
Alfonsa, Alexandra’s (John’s lover) godmother says this to John Grady when she is advising him to stay away from Alexandra. She is explaining how hard it is for woman to keep their reputation and that they can never get it back once it is gone. She is telling him how she lost her fingers, in a shooting accident. She then asks about his scar on his cheek, which he got from a horse. Alfonsa wants John to know that you can’t take the past back. She is saying this because once he ruins Alexandra’s reputations, the ‘scars’ will be permanent. When horrible things happen, the scars or consequences make sure we never forget them. We need to be mindful of the consequences of our actions.

"There aint but one truth. The truth is what happened. It aint what come out of somebody's mouth." Pg.168
John Grady says this when he is being questioned by the men who want revenge on Blevins. They are trying to convince him to say they story they want to hear, but he refuses. He says they straight truth, and doesn’t twist it in way. People always say there are different sides to each story, but when it comes down to it, there is only one truth. It is important to realize that people will lie and the truth is hard to find. Unless you were there, you probably won’t have the story right. And that is just the way life is.

"Dying aint in people's plans, is it?" Pg. 210
Rawlins says this to John Grady about a man he met in the hospital room who died. I like this quote because it not only created a sense of danger, but it also makes you feel like you could die any minute. Nobody plans to die. It just happens. It is simple, and McCarthy makes it seem like it is just another thing that happens in our life. This quote creates urgency to live life fully, because death comes out of nowhere.

"I wouldnt be here if I wasnt supposed to be here." Pg.214
Rawlins say this to Grady in one of their few deep conversations throughout the book. This once again creates a feeling of simplicity. We merely exist in a world that has everything picked out for us. Our life is basically decided before we even have the chance. I like this quote, because it is saying everything happens for a reason. Don’t dwell on the past or what is to come, because wherever you are, you are supposed to be there.

Personal Reaction 1

I have read about two thirds of the book, and I thought it was a good time to give a personal response to the plot, characters, and writing of “All the Pretty Horses.”

John Grady Cole and Rawlins have left Texas and journeyed into Mexico. Along the way they meet a younger boy named Blevins, who joins them. They get into some trouble along the way when Blevins loses his horse and gun, and then tries to steal it back from the person who found them. The men they steal from begin to chase them, and Blevins has to split up from Grady and Rawlins. Without serious attachments to Blevins, Grady and Rawlins keep going, hoping to avoid trouble. They find a hacienda where they work with horses for a decent pay. While working at this ranch, Grady falls in love with his boss’s daughter. Although the boss likes Grady for his knowledge of horses, Rawlins thinks that Grady is going to get them kicked out for his affair with the boss’s daughter. Shortly after, Grady and Rawlins get kidnapped and taken back to the place where Blevins stole the horse. They are reunited with the boy and kept in captivity. They are unsure of what is going to happen and why they are being pulled into this mess with Blevins.

So far, most of the novel has been developing the setting and characters. Although it seems like I am about to get into some action, I have yet to see much. I found it annoying how much was skipped in this story. For example, there was not much said about the love affair between Grady and the Mexican woman. There has been more emphasis on description than on the events. Dialogue has been short and to the point, but it makes me think more since I am given less.

John Grady seems to be kind and innocent, unsure of who he is or what he is supposed to be. With family problems at home and no plan for his future, Grady is stuck with what he has in the present. He seems hopeful for a sixteen year old on his own. Rawlins is very different; he is unexpected, sarcastic, and more realistic. He never liked Blevins and always said he would bring them trouble. He is harsh and tries to see the truth in every situation. I like these traits in him, because they are so contrasting to the simple plot and characters developed so far. Blevins is mysterious. His age is unknown, but he is most likely thirteen or so. Why he is on his own at this age is unknown. He can shoot perfectly, and he has one of the best horses around. His courage is unbelievable for a young boy. I hope to find out more about where he came from, and why he is who he is.

I have gotten used to McCarthy’s writing at this point. I find it peaceful and inviting. I get lost in his never-ending sentences, but in a good way. I am able to put myself right with the characters, and I don’t even need quotation marks to know who is talking. I find myself relating to the plot and characters despite the major differences between my life and theirs. If you think about it, we are all on our own with endless choices to make our lives out of. Even though his situation is drastically different than mine, I feel like John Grady Cole and I can relate in that we are both struggling to define our lives.

At this point in the book, I have so many questions. It was hard to put the book down to write this personal response. Everything is getting exciting now, and after all this description, I am ready for some action. What is going to happen to Blevins? Will John Grady Cole try to save his life even if it means risking his own? Will Grady ever see his Mexican lover again? Will Grady’s family ever come looking for him? Or have they already? There are so many questions, and I can’t wait to find the answers. I will do another personal response once I have finished the book, hopefully with answers to all of these questions.

Setting/Imagery

“They'd ride out along the ciénaga road and along the verge of the marshes while the sun rose riding up flights of ducks out of the shallows or geese or mergansers that would beat away over the water scattering the haze and rising up would turn to birds of gold in a sun not yet visible from the bolsòn floor.” pg 128

McCarthy’s uses imagery everywhere. It can be very lengthy at times, taking up pages. But these long descriptions are worth the read, because they create such a beautiful setting. His story is simple so far, about two boys riding in the West in search for work. His vivid and constant imagery allow us to see that what is around them is all they have. This is all they see, and in a way, it is all that matters. I think McCarthy is putting a huge importance on nature and it’s beauty by dedicating much of his text to it.

Like I talked about earlier, you can see how there are no commas in this sentence. It is incorrectly written, but it is done purposely. It is very effective. It is as McCarthy is just taking it all in, and he wants us to feel the same. By stripping the sentence of punctuation, we are left with the bare description of what is there. It is so simple, yet so beautiful. His style makes his descriptions seem dreamy, almost unreal. Also, his lack of punctuation makes me feel like there is so much more, and he is trying to put as much as he can into this one sentence. But it won’t fit because nature is indefinite. You can tell McCarthy is very passionate about the setting, and knowing it is his home helps us understand why.

Rhetoric Study

“They rode out along the fenceline and across the open pasture-land. The leather creaked in the morning cold. They pushed the horses into a lope. The light fell away behind them. They rode out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures and bore them up into the swarming stars so that they rode not under but among them and they rode at once jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric, like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing.” pg.30

This quote is towards the beginning of the book, right as John Grady and Rawlins are leaving their home, Texas, to find adventure elsewhere. They have no plan, and that is okay with them. All they know is that Texas has nothing left for them, and it is time to find something new. This passage basically introduces the book and what is to come.

This passage depicts McCarthy’s style perfectly. Lack of punctuation, simple sentences, and carefully chosen words are McCarthy’s specialties. However, they are used for a purpose. His sentences are often straight forward, with only a subject and verb. This helps create the feeling of simplicity within the story. These boys are leaving home, and they have no plan. But it doesn’t matter. They are not worried about the complications and problems they may encounter. Whatever happens, will happen. McCarthy’s short but not choppy sentences help create this almost carefree mood in a situation where you would expect the complete opposite.

Like I have talked about earlier, McCarthy’s lack of punctuation emphasizes the importance of the setting. However, this also makes you want to keep reading. His thought provoking description and dialogue leave you wanting more. In this passage, his imagery once again creates a scene the reader can picture. With the horses, the stars, and the never-ending land, one can’t help but feel like he/she is right there with Grady and Rawlins, riding into the unknown.

I think it is important to look at the words McCarthy uses to describe the setting and the characters. He chooses words as much for their sound as for their meaning. His words flow, even in his run-on sentences. “Jaunty” and “Circumspect” describe the mood perfectly. The boys are excited, but they are cautious as well. They have no idea what to expect. When McCarthy says, “they rode not under but among them” he is putting humans and nature [stars] on the same level. This once again is making life seem simple and beautiful. I also like when he says “and ten thousand worlds for the choosing.” These boys can go anywhere; their options are endless. It creates a sense of hope that they will find what they are looking for. I also like how he uses the word ‘thieves’ because it almost foreshadows the dangers they are going to encounter in their journey. He also implies they may not be ready for these dangers by saying they are “loosely jacketed against the cold.” McCarthy chooses his words carefully to make sure they not only mean but also sound perfect in context.

I want to talk about some other rhetoric devices McCarthy uses that are not necessarily used in this passage. Throughout the book McCarthy occasionally puts quotations in Spanish. This makes the reader feel like a stranger to the land, just as Grady and Rawlins are. It helps the reader connect with the characters. And although it may seem like it would be confusing, McCarthy has developed his characters so that the reader knows what they are saying, even if it is in Spanish. McCarthy also uses similes and metaphors, as he did in this passage, to better describe the setting and the characters. He does this because he knows how hard it is to fully imagine something you have never seen, and by comparing it to certain things, he makes this task a little easier.

Introduction/Background

I have just begun reading “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy and decided to do an entry with background information on the author and the book. Not only does McCarthy seem to have a different kind of writing, but it also takes place in a time and place I know nothing about. I thought it would be a good idea to know some facts about each before I continued with the book. Here is what I found:

Cormac McCarthy is considered one of America’s greatest living authors. Born in Rhode Island, McCarthy has traveled around the world and currently resides in Texas. He is known to use his experiences and knowledge to write his books. McCarthy is known for his simple writing and distinguished style. He is compared to Hemingway both in style and subject matter. He usually writes about adventures, but in a poetic manner. He uses little punctuation and writes quotations in Spanish occasionally in "All the Pretty Horses". Cormac McCarthy prefers to be left alone and is often characterized as his books are written: simple.

“All the Pretty Horses” takes place in Texas and Mexico around the 1950’s. Because McCarthy is currently living in Texas, he was able to create a beautiful setting that the reader can clearly envision. I have only read a couple pages, and I feel like I know exactly what Mexico looks like. Its important to note that even though Mexico is not all Indians and cowboys in the 1950’s, it is a savage land “where dreams are paid for in blood.”

I’m excited to get further into the book, because the reviews I have read are wonderful. However, his writing is going to take a while to get used to. Without quotation marks, it is hard to figure out who is talking sometimes. Plus, being in AP Language, I constantly want to correct his sentences - They are an English teacher’s nightmare. However, I have learned that people usually write for a reason, so I am interested to see how this kind of writing develops his story.