A Reflection Of Cormac Mccarthy's All The Pretty Horses
A Reflection of All The Pretty Horses The New York Times Book Review states that Cormac McCarthy’s All The Pretty Horses, “puts most other American writers to shame.” The main character John Grady is the ideal American cowboy who sees horses as a way of life. The theme of a modern day Western full of horses is brought together with different dialect, irony, and how a cowboy Spanish speaker from Texas survives his journey through Mexico. John Grady is a cowboy unlike any others, who uses his knowledge to get his friends and him out of trouble. John Grady is accompanied by his best friend Lacey Rawlins so that he does not have face the foreign landscape on his own. John Grady and his closest friend Rawlins decide that the Texas life in a America is not the life for them, so they decide to travel to Mexico on horseback. However, along the way, they meet a boy named Blevins who becomes both of their tragic flaws. “‘How old are you?’ asked Rawlins. “‘Sixteen’ the boy replied. “‘He’s lying out his ass,’ said Rawlins as he looked at John Grady. The use of dialect in the south is entirely different than that of people in the midwest. Readers will find that Rawlins is always mad at Blevins for pretty much being alive. Throughout their journey together, Rawlins and Grady find out that Blevins does not think things through before he acts. Blevins was the kind
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of person that would do anything in order to prevent himself from being struck by lighting. One time as the three friends had crossed the border into Mexico a storm had started forming. Since Blevins was wearing clothes that contained metal, he took them off, left his horse, and started running naked until he took shelter under the branches of a large dead tree. “‘Where’s your clothes at?’ said John Grady. ‘Washed away.’ ‘Your horse is gone.’ ‘I know it.”’ (McCarthy 116). As the three friends continue their journey Blevins shows signs of regret, but also will stop at nothing to retrieve his things. Blevins is not sure how exactly he is going to get his horse and gun back, but he is willing to do anything to get them back. As they approach a small city in Mexico only days after that incident John Grady spots Blevin’s horse stabled outside someone’s house. The initial plan at night was to go back and retrieve Blevin’s horse while everyone in the city was sleeping. Blevins, as usual, did not think things through. In the middle of the night, as they retrieved the horse, dogs started barking, and everyone in this city woke up. The three friends quickly speed off on their horses leaving only dust behind them. However the police followed them but John Grady and Rawlins pulled off on the side of the road so that the police would only chase Blevins. Days later, Rawlins and John Grady find themselves on a large ranch of a wealthy hispanic by the name of Don Hector.
John Grady had the ability to speak Spanish fluently, so he did the speaking when they found themselves in new situations.
‘“You rode her from Texas?’ ‘Yessir.’ ‘You and your friend?’ ‘Yessir.’ ‘Just the two of you?’ ‘Yessir.’ (McCarthy 116). It was because Don Hector had what was seemingly an endless supply of horses, and John Grady and his assistant Rawlins specialized in them, the two friends ended up with jobs on Don Hector’s thousand acre ranch. Due to John Grady’s keen survival skills, the two friends had finally found their calling. The two of them never imagined that all of their hard work was for
nothing.
Finally the day came when even John Grady was unable to keep he and his best friend Rawlins safe. According to McCarthy “The following morning at gray daybreak two men entered his cubicle with drawn pistols and put a flashlight in his eyes and ordered him to get up” (McCarthy 149). The partners rode all day, up through the low hills and into the mountains and along the mesa to the north well beyond the horse range and into the country they’d first crossed into four months before. John Grady and Rawlins were put in prison where they were reunited with their long lost friend Blevins…
of person that would do anything in order to prevent himself from being struck by lighting. One time as the three friends had crossed the border into Mexico a storm had started forming. Since Blevins was wearing clothes that contained metal, he took them off, left his horse, and started running naked until he took shelter under the branches of a large dead tree. “‘Where’s your clothes at?’ said John Grady. ‘Washed away.’ ‘Your horse is gone.’ ‘I know it.”’ (McCarthy 116). As the three friends continue their journey Blevins shows signs of regret, but also will stop at nothing to retrieve his things. Blevins is not sure how exactly he is going to get his horse and gun back, but he is willing to do anything to get them back. As they approach a small city in Mexico only days after that incident John Grady spots Blevin’s horse stabled outside someone’s house. The initial plan at night was to go back and retrieve Blevin’s horse while everyone in the city was sleeping. Blevins, as usual, did not think things through. In the middle of the night, as they retrieved the horse, dogs started barking, and everyone in this city woke up. The three friends quickly speed off on their horses leaving only dust behind them. However the police followed them but John Grady and Rawlins pulled off on the side of the road so that the police would only chase Blevins. Days later, Rawlins and John Grady find themselves on a large ranch of a wealthy hispanic by the name of Don Hector.
John Grady had the ability to speak Spanish fluently, so he did the speaking when they found themselves in new situations.
‘“You rode her from Texas?’ ‘Yessir.’ ‘You and your friend?’ ‘Yessir.’ ‘Just the two of you?’ ‘Yessir.’ (McCarthy 116). It was because Don Hector had what was seemingly an endless supply of horses, and John Grady and his assistant Rawlins specialized in them, the two friends ended up with jobs on Don Hector’s thousand acre ranch. Due to John Grady’s keen survival skills, the two friends had finally found their calling. The two of them never imagined that all of their hard work was for
nothing.
Finally the day came when even John Grady was unable to keep he and his best friend Rawlins safe. According to McCarthy “The following morning at gray daybreak two men entered his cubicle with drawn pistols and put a flashlight in his eyes and ordered him to get up” (McCarthy 149). The partners rode all day, up through the low hills and into the mountains and along the mesa to the north well beyond the horse range and into the country they’d first crossed into four months before. John Grady and Rawlins were put in prison where they were reunited with their long lost friend Blevins…