Cormac McCarthy gives his story All the Pretty Horses an unique organization. The book only has four chapters within‚ yet each chapter is lengthy. There are also very few flashbacks in this story. This flashback was needed‚ however‚ to show how things did not change after John Grady Cole’s grandfather died. “On the wall opposite above the sideboard was an oilpainting of horses. . . . his grandfather looked up from his plate at the painting‚” shows the painting being there while his grandfather
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In All the Pretty Horses‚ McCarthy uses the theme of journeys to relay the message that life is not only a physical journey‚ but there are emotional journeys through life also. Through the theme of journeys‚ McCarthy demonstrates a maturing aspect of the characters. Throughout John Grady Cole’s life‚ he wishes to take part in his grandfather’s ranch; even after his grandfather dies‚ John purses this dream and tries to gain a closer connection to the ranch by dropping his mother’s name and becoming
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AP Literature and Composition All the Pretty Horses Complete the first three questions and then choose three of the five following topics and answer the corresponding questions. Theme definitions and examples 1. What is the dictionary definition of theme? 2. What specifically does that mean for a literary work? 3. To avoid being too narrow in applying the term theme‚ what precaution must the reader take? The following are examples of thematic topics followed with questions to those specific
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damned if I’ll go on being experimented with. Not for all the Controllers in the world. I shall go away tomorrow too.” (243) John chooses to disappear from the New World rather than to be an experiment for the controllers. The choices of words shows that he uses the choice of words Shakespeare would dictate. His tone is serious and a little angry towards the people. It is ironic how John went to the New World thinking it would be better for him‚ but all it’s been is trouble and difficult for him. John
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"The Searchers" versus All the Pretty Horses The American west is one of our most revered eras‚ romanticized by numerous forms of media in the United States. Mediums of movies‚ books and television shows glorify the fiction of the old west. John Ford’s film "The Searchers" is an ideal example of this romanticized American West. Typically‚ an American Western story confines the women to home duties‚ having no original ideas or thoughts of their own‚ while the status of the hero is elevated by
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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
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Redness and blood is often connected to religious imagery. In All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy‚ the spirituality of blood connects man with the landscape‚ horse‚ history‚ and his destiny. Thomas C. Foster’s How to read Literature Like a Professor makes reference to the bible in chapter 6. The Bible states that wine is often symbolized for the blood of Christ and is thought to be a spiritual cleanser. At the end of Part III‚ after John Grady had lost a lot of blood while staying in Saltillo
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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
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Cormac McCarthy shows how important horses can be to a cowboy in his great western classic All The Pretty Horses. Horses were once the backbone of American civilization‚ in an era before trains‚ cars‚ and airplanes. They were especially prominent in the mythic cowboy culture of the west. On a long ride a horse would serve a cowboy as transportation‚ and not to mention companionship in a solitary environment. A story of change‚ John Grady Cole‚ the protagonist‚ and his friend Lacy Rawlins embark on
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choices and eventually accepts the consequences. While Macbeth‚ Lady Macbeth and Meursault’s results of their choices are undesirable and adverse‚ John Grady’s choices lead to a greater‚ more positive impact because of his continuous commitment. In all three of these cases‚ the characters show that one must create a purpose for themselves rather than waiting for one’s life to change on its own. They choose to freely take action in the face of the unknown. One who stays dedicated to their choices will
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