Suffering in Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses

1402 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Reality vs.fantasy in a modern world

Suffering in Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses

In All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy tells the tale of John Grady Cole’s quest to capture the ideal qualities of a cowboy as he sees them: laid-back, unfettered, nomadic and carefree attitudes. These qualities soon clash, however, with the reality of darkness, suffering and mystery that seems to follow him. Reality constantly subverts his ideal dream. Time and time again, John Grady Cole works to be this fantasy, but through reality’s constant rejection of his fantasy, he lives the dream.

John Grady Cole starts on his journey to live the dream of a cowboy with his companion, Rawlin. Both are searching for a better life as they wander the plains waiting for adventure. The bump in the previously smooth road arises from Blevin, a thirteen-year-old boy, eager to join the adventurous party. Only after persistent persuasion, a valuable horse and an impressive demonstration of skill, John Grady and Rawlin allow Blevin to join them.

Not long after, the characters face their first challenge; during a thunderstorm Blevin stripes himself of any metal and clothing because of his fear of lightning. When morning comes, naked Blevin has lost everything: clothes, horse and rifle. Continuing their journey, they ride into the village of Encantada to discover someone else has possessed Blevin horse and rifle. Eager to recapture his own possessions, Rawlin predicts trouble because of Blevin’s prides, however, John Grady decides to be true to his heart and help Blevin to retrieve his horse and rifle. The situation creates tension between the reality of the consequences and the fantasy of a cowboy.

The tension results in disaster. The friends leave Encantada b...

... middle of paper ...

...er and roam. In this vast land uninhabited between the United States and Mexico, John Grady encounter three men. “The man studied his eyes in the firelight” (McCarthy 281), looking for truth and honesty. This is who John Grady wanted to be. “Men of the country” (McCarthy 281). This was John Grady’s dream, his quest, laid out physically in front of him, but a struggle is created from the dream-like image of these men and the reality of becoming these men, although, John Grady has yet to reach this point. As the curtains close, John Grady rides off into the sunset, into vast plains, searching for the ideal qualities of a cowboy he will never find because of the unrealistic nature of his fantasy. For John Grady to live the dream, conflict between reality and fantasy leads to pain, suffering and darkens, forcing John Grady on a never-ending search for his fantasy.

Show More
Related

  • John Grady's Journey in All the Pretty Horses

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    The times are changing and he's unwilling to give up the past. The world is becoming modernized and people like him, cowboys and ranchers, are slowly disappearing. He runs away from home because he desires to find peace within himself as well as a place where he can feel he belongs. Here begins the adventure of John Grady and his best friend Lacey Rawlins. It is important to note here the means of travel. The story is taking place after World War II, a time when cars are fairly common, yet these boys decide to go on horseback, like in the fading old days. This is just another concept of how they are unwilling to give up a fading past. When they first begin their journey, the boys are having a good time. In a sense they?re two buddies on a road trip with no real motive. Rawlins even mentions, ?You know what?I could get used to this life.? Then they meet Blevins, the foil in the plot that veers the two boys of their course and also has plays a role in the lasting change of their personality. Their meeting with him gives an insight into Grady?s character. Rawlins is against letting Blevins come along with them, but because of John?s kind nature he ends up allowing Blevins to come. It?s because of this kindness and sense of morality, he gets into trouble later on.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Horses Of The Night

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    When individuals face obstacles in life, there is often two ways to respond to those hardships: some people choose to escape from the reality and live in an illusive world. Others choose to fight against the adversities and find a solution to solve the problems. These two ways may lead the individuals to a whole new perception. Those people who decide to escape may find themselves trapped into a worse or even disastrous situation and eventually lose all of their perceptions and hops to the world, and those who choose to fight against the obstacles may find themselves a good solution to the tragic world and turn their hopelessness into hopes. Margaret Laurence in her short story Horses of the Night discusses the idea of how individual’s responses

    Read More

  • Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the same time, the author makes clear the harsh realities and disappointments of John Grady’s chosen way of life. When John Grady leaves Texas at the age of 16, he seems to have a plan. He wants to become a cowboy and have a close relationship with nature. John Grady’s character is hopelessly romantic; he takes action without caring about repercussions. In All the Pretty Horses, John Grady falls in love with people or things that are unable to love him back at the same level.

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless' Quest for Inner Peace Was a Success

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless, the main character of “Into the wild” was angered by his father’s infidelity and bigamy. As a result, Chris McCandless wanted to separate himself from his family and he begins a spiritual adventure to search for his identity. Chris McCandless isolates himself physically and emotionally to find freedom and peace by adventuring into the wild. Therefore, McCandless escapes from Emory University and immediately flees his dull and predictable life, heading west without a word to his family. Although, McCandless journey ends in a tragic ending, he fulfilled his ambition by pursuing his ambition and inner peace. In conclusion, McCandless journey was both a search for inner peace and transition to maturity.

    Read More

  • Alvin Ailey's Role In Modern Dance

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the first concerts ever produced by his company was titled Blues Suite, which was a well-received depiction of poverty in the deep south set to a soundtrack of blues music. This concert was an integral part in defining Alvin Ailey’s choreography technique, which is loosely based on the technique associated in ballet with strong legs and feet, while still maintaining a more evocative, modern-style torso. However, the most critical element that determined the specific style of each piece was solely dependent on the story he wanted to tell. Revelations was a magnificent showcase of storytelling that quickly became Alvin’s signature dance concert. He drew inspiration for this piece from his memories as a child growing up in the south. According to the Dance Heritage Coalition, the concert, which has been viewed by twenty-three million people worldwide, featured the sounds of negro spirituals and gospel music with depictions of common worship rituals including baptism in Wade in the Water, the sacred act of taking communion in I Wanna Be Ready, and prayer in I’ve Been Buked (1). Additionally, Alvin also focused a great deal of his energy into creating a dramatic atmosphere for his dancers to perform in. He had a very strong creative influence in

    Read More

  • Hidden Messages in Easy Rider

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    Billy and Wyatt of them go through a series of adventures, first stopping off at a motel where they're rejected, regardless of the glowing vacancy sign. This shows that their culture is not accepted in the rest of the world. They leave the motel and camp out in the wilderness. At a point, Wyatt's bike gets a flat, and they stop at a farm to fix it. It is at this point that the film makes a comparison of the bikers to cowboys. As Wyatt is fixing his tire a man in the background is shoeing his horse. This is making the point that Wyatt is the new version of the cowboy and his chopper is the new cowboy’s horse. During this scene there is an exchange between Wyatt and the farmer where Wyatt tells the farmer how much he admires his farm because he built it with his own hands. This is the first time that you get an idea of Wyatt’s values.

    Read More

  • Dance

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ailey believed that he shouldn’t be the only choreographer for his company so after his passing new choreographers created pieces for the troupe. One of these choreographers was Ronald K. Brown. Brown created his dance company Evidence in 1985. He often combined modern dance, West-African movements and Afro-Caribbean Dance when choreographing his pieces. He choreographed a piece ...

    Read More

  • All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy - Individualism vs. Society

    1676 Words  | 4 Pages

    So finally he is back from where he started – the life influenced by those around him. Soon he found himself playing the ball accordingly. He recognizes that in contrast to his idea of seeing himself as an independent and unique identity is a myth in the real world. Nevertheless, in the end John Grady is still headed west (p.302), just as he does at the beginning (p.5). Does he still hope for better pastures further west of Mexico?

    Read More

  • Humanity in Race and Gender

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the greatest sensitivities discernible in the contemporary society concerns race and gender. Such sensitivities are defensibly results of the historical struggles for equality in suffrage, work, education, employment, and many other civil rights. It is clear that although the civil struggles are now gone, the issues have not waned with time. In the case of gender equality, it seems the pendulum swung so hard that the problem has changed from one extreme to the other, which has become unhealthy for the society. When it comes to race, however, it seems much has changed in terms of laws protecting minority races, condemnation of pejorative language, and other visible prejudices, while the economic inequality of the races is still conspicuous. The church’s understanding of the doctrine of humanity should determine how these issues are viewed, evaluated, and confronted.

    Read More

  • Infanticide: Cross Cultural Analysis of the Causes of Infanticide

    1804 Words  | 4 Pages

    Infanticide is a way to alter the reproductive stream before the child has the status of a real person, which is culturally defined (source). The deaths of weak, illegitimate, excess, deformed and unwanted infants are not defined as murder when the infants have not yet been born into the social world. Infanticide occurs cross-culturally for a multitude of causes. The reasons for infanticide can be summed up into three categories: biological (including the health of the child and twin stigmas), economical (relation to other children, women's workload, and available resources) and cultural (preferred gender, illegitimate children). This essay will examine cross-culturally the biological, economic and cultural factors for infanticide.

    Read More

  • Lonesome Dove - The Journey of Newt the Young Man

    1548 Words  | 4 Pages

    Cowboys, Indians, gunfights, cattle, stealing, prostitutes, alcohol, deserts, plains, and horses: Where can all these be found? Only in the Wild West. The days when the West was once the newest frontier have been preserved forever due to the many novels and movies written about them. The stories from the west are full of action, packed with battles between cowboys and Indians, and adventures of tracking down pistoleros (bandits, gunman). They are also full of drama, cowboys who have fallen in love with prostitutes, finding long-lost loved ones, and the pains of growing up in hopes of being a cowboy. All of this action can be found in one Western novel, Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry. One theme, however, stands out from the rest of them. The theme of growing up and maturing is a predominant theme in the book Lonesome Dove. Newt, the young stable hand, is finally maturing and is looking to his leaders, Augustus 'Gus' McCrae, Captain Woodrow F. Call, and other assorted cow hands such as Dish Bogget, Joshua Deets, and Jake Spoon for advice and tips in life. After being born to a prostitute mother, who died, Newt was raised by the Hat Creek Outfit. This outfit is like the Bad News Bears. It is a ragtag group serving no real purpose other than to steal horses from Mexican bandits and then sell them to travelers who happen to stop by the desolate town of Lonesome Dove. This is a very harsh environment for Newt to grow up in. Newt is constantly looking for a companion and friend, and at the very least someone to talk to. He talks to Deets, the only one in the company who seems to enjoy his company. Call is too shy, abrupt, and ashamed to get into long discussions with Newt. Gus certainly do...

    Read More

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    1590 Words  | 4 Pages

    OCD is an anxiety disorder that is described as someone with obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behavior. People with OCD are caught up in repetitive behavior and thoughts that they cannot stop. Obsession is defined as unwanted, recurrent, and disturbing thoughts that a person cannot stop. These thoughts are unable to be suppressed and can result in severe anxiety. Compulsions are the result of the obsession. These are repetitive, ritualized behaviors that are done to alleviate the anxiety caused by the obsession. (2) The most common obsessions are fear of contamination, fear of causing harm to another, fear of making a mistake, fear of behaving in a socially unacceptable manner, need for symmetry or exactness, and excessive doubt. The most common compulsions are cleaning/washing, checking, arranging/organizing, collecting/hoarding, and counting/repeating. (3) Some people with OCD have rituals that help relieve the anxiety; however, that relief is only temporary. (4) Most patients (at least 80%) with OCD have both obs...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast All The Pretty Horses Book And Book

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    “All the Pretty Horses”, a novel written by Cormac McCarthy tells the tale about a man and his friend travelling the plains of Mexico after leaving their homes in Texas. As the novel’s name alludes to, horses are a central theme in the story as they represent manhood and freedom when John Grady, the protagonist, and his friend Rawlins get thrown in jail. McCarthy’s novel became critically-acclaimed which gained him more recognition, as well as a movie adaptation directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Even though Thornton’s adaption has the basics of the novel’s story it does not appropriately grasps its depth. While Thornton’s version stays faithful to the dialogue from the book’s included scenes it does fall short by having an erratic pace, having

    Read More

  • Symbolism In All The Pretty Horses By Cormac Mccarthy

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    Horses are the most noticeable symbol in the whole book. Horses are a necessity to the boys. The horses are political and economic assets to Grady, Rawlins and Blevins. Specifically for John Grady, horses are more important to him than humans. He constantly dreams of him running with horses and always thinks about them. To Grady horses are like a way to distract him from all his problems and give him a sense of freedom because he does not have to worry about all the stress, problems, and people. Grady relates humans and horses stating that horses are superior to the human race. "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." (Page 111) Grady has a passion for horses. He tells the horses everything like his life story, his thoughts, and secrets. Since Grady does not trust humans he turns to the horses as an output. Grady’s love for horses reveals more about Grady himself. It makes Grady seem like a fairly lonely person because he only trusts horses and prefers horses over humans.

    Read More

  • The Virginian, by Owen Wister

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    The cowboy hero, The Virginian, as portrayed in Owen Wister’s novel was the first of his kind and today is known as the stereotypical mythic cowboy figure which our view of the western frontier are based from. The Virginian was the first full length western novel apart from the short dime novels which marked the final stage in the evolution of the cowboy hero to a national icon. The Virginian was published in 1902 and at that time was wildly popular because of the settlement of the west. The story of the cowboy who had the skill and courage to take control of the untamed frontier enthralled people. The cowboy hero had a few distinguished qualities, he was a self-appointed vigilante, he had a very strict moral code, he had exceptional perception skills and he had the ability to adapt. Owen Wister’s The Virginian was the first to portray these qualities and really created a deeper cowboy character.

    Read More

More about Suffering in Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses

Open Document