In chapter one "Time and the Mythic Present" of the novel, "Thunder Rides A Black Horse" by Claire R. Farrer discussed Native American people live with those who have gone before them with those who are present at the moment. In the American West and Southwest, Indians on multiple reservations live their life in the "mythic present". What modern Americans considered to have occurred long ago, if it even occurred at all, is actual and visible everyday on reservations. There was a co-presence of events in which the warrior twins engaged in which took place at the dinner table was sought to have been the "mythic present". "Both the Long Ago and the Now are present together in thought,…
In Cormac McCarthy’s novel All the Pretty Horses, the setting is used to represent the main characters transformation over time from one terrain to another. The limitedness of the Texan terrain scattered with barbed wire restrictions identifies the restlessness that motivates John Grady’s brevity in the region at the beginning of the novel. Meanwhile, the Mexican wilderness that John Grady Cole’s sets out for comes to epitomize how the vast territory of fenceless space shapes his experiences as they outline his true character. The result is recognition of the parallel between open terrain and his character, each one exemplifying one another and in the end explains the enlightenment he struggles for.…
In the novel All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy illustrates the coming-of-age protagonist, John Grady Cole, who impulsively decides to travel to Mexico in search of an adventurous lifestyle. Although a teenager, John Grady Cole reveals rather matured behaviors towards his fellow companions, but he preserves the notion that he has control over everything. This very attitude backfires in severe consequences, in which John Grady Cole is essentially powerless. Subsequently, his ideals of cowboy life confronts the reality of adulthood because John Grady Cole loses his most prized attribute -- the child-like belief of…
In Kayleigh Moore, Response # 10A. I agree with her. The Edwardian period was all about class, moving up on the social ladder, and about money. People did not get married for love, during this time frame. They were mostly lying to themselves about why they are getting married. In the modernist period, they were about finding true love and happiness. They were about being real, true, not being fake with each other’s. They wasn’t worry about the class system very much. She is right about what she says about D.H. Lawrence’s “The Odeur of Chrysanthemums”. If, we look at another of his works, like “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”. Mabel feelings are very much real in the story. We can feel her as a person. We can all relate to her in some way. We…
The story “Horses of the Night” centers the theme of depression. The story is told from Vanessa’s point of view, a 6 year old girl, who idolizes her cousin Chris, a teenager who comes to live with them to complete his high school. Vanessa grows closer to Chris during his stay. He would talk to her about his life goals or occasionally also talk about his “beautiful” hometown. She describes Chris as a handsome boy who is very creative, entertaining and a dreamer. She admired the little things about him, how he overlooked negative comments instead of talking back, how he would easily mix up with children etc. He seemed to have everything figured out and he made it look so simple. As Vanessa grew up she started to understand the realities of…
Within the novel All The Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy attempts to associate the appeal of the Wild West in comparison to its reality. A prevalent idea that concludes the book on a slightly somber note appears in the form of John Grady’s character going into the western plains. As the narrative comes to a close, it is the diction and imagery that ultimately show how John Grady lets the story end with his departure into his life as a cowboy, having completely bended into this unique lifestyle and having lost a piece of himself along with it.…
The book All the Pretty Horses is a western drama about teenage cowboys as they transition from adolescence into manhood. The author, Cormac McCarthy, structures the book using echo words and parallel structure that links dialogue exchanges and makes the scenes flow smoothly. McCarthy is a master of this sort of repetition and uses this structure throughout the entire book. There are many examples of this used throughout the book, but the author primarily focuses on the interpersonal relationships, diversity, and change.…
Throughout history, the concept of fate has been a common theme among works of literature and man's thought in general. Does he have the ability to choose his path through life, or is his destiny laid out before him? This question takes on new meaning in modern society, as people try to make their own choices while conforming to the structure of society and its norms. While society, with its customs and laws, seems to limit a person's freedom, the person is still essentially free to make their own choices.…
Fate has been questioned since the beginning of time and whether humans have control over their destiny, or a higher power decides. In today’s society of medical and technological innovations the accepted attitude is that of free-will: that humans make their own destiny. In A Prayer for Owen Meany, Irving uses the motif hands, Owen’s fate, and its effect on Johnny to influence the reader’s view in the argument of pre-determined fate vs. free-will. In a world moving away from religion and pre-determined fate, Irving implores the reader to question how much control they truly have.…
There are many different literary devices that could arguably be the most important when it comes to interpreting a story. However, without historical information none of the other devices could even be understood. In the book All The Pretty Horses a lot of Spanish is used. Much of the dialogue that is used throughout the book is spoken in Spanish. Although this could make for a more difficult read for some readers there is always translators online and much of the Spanish that is used is simple and fairly easy to understand. People have customs and traditions that they follow that can only be explained by knowing about their culture. “The house was built in eighteen seventy-two. Seventy-seven years later his grandfather was still the first man to die in it.” (McCarthy 6) McCarthy is describing the ranch that has been in the family for decades. This passage gives a lot of information about not only the characters and the setting, but also the importance of historical context. As stated before, many people have…
Mare Barrow is a short, thin seventeen year old girl who has multiple sides to her personality. At times, she can be a caring, thoughtful person, but overall she is very rebellious, ambitious person, who seems to have a “don't care” attitude. Regardless, Mare would do anything to protect the ones she loves no matter what obstacles she faces.…
Both “Macbeth” and “The Monkey's Paw” had fate play a partial role in the telling of their stories. In each of these tales, a supernatural force rooted itself in the main characters. Macbeth had the three witches and the Whites had the monkey's paw. These two forces had inevitable consequences powered by choice. They were warned of the effect of challenging fate, but they failed to heed.…
What would you do if you found no one is responsible of your bad luck but you? That was what O. Henry tries to pin down to the readers in his symbolic short story, The Cactus. Through meaningful words and dictions, O. Henry tells the bad luck of the main character, Trysdale, who does not know that it is actually himself who make it possible. The delineation of a prestige man who gradually lost his amount of fake accessory of pride leads to the end that Trysdale finds himself as a foolish man who pedantically let everything which should not be his becomes a weapon to kill himself. The main character’s fate reveals one of the consequents of being a conceited and infirm guy, also the prestige of knowing Spanish or foreign language in eighteen thousands.…
Aram and Mourad are mother and son in the lokesh family, which has a reputation for honesty that has been maintained by its family members for hundreds of years. But the tribe is extremely poverty stricken though they never resort to unfair means to get money. Both boys long to ride a horse, but their poverty keeps them from their deepest dreTam. Early one morning, Mourad shows up at Aram's home on a charming white horse.Aram is awestruck!He cannot understand where Mourad got this beautiful horse when they do not have enough money to afford one. But he also cannot think that his cousin--a member of the honest tribe--can ever steal.But he is too surprised to try and find out the truth.He so longs for a ride.Also Mourad is determined to keep it, and they try their best to keep the horse a secret from others and learn to ride it. In the days to follow,both the boys take out the horse from its hiding place every morning to ride in the countryside.Though, only Mourad can ride the horse properly as he has mastered the art by having riding practice for a month before revealing his secret to Aram. Aram tries hard to -But Aram is determined to learn to ride and tells Mourad not to return the horse until he himself learns to ride.Mourad says it would take Aram a year to learn toride.He cannot keep the horse that long but Aram tells him to keep…
In D.H. Lawrence’s “The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter”, we see Mabel Pervin, the protagonist, as an unloved woman in the twentieth century. Mabel lives with, and cares for, her three brothers Joe, Fred, and Malcolm after their father dies, leaving them in debt. Mabel resents her father for the debt he has left the family in because the money made her feel secure. Living with three brothers is no fun and games for Mabel considering they treat her like she is a child. Mabel is majorly influenced by her relationships with her father, brothers, and Dr. Ferguson to overcome her internal conflict.…