All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
1. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy is about three teenage boys that run away from home to go to Mexico. When John Grady Cole, Lacey Rawlins, and Jimmy Blevins reach Encantada, Mexico, John and Lacey find work at a ranch with Don Hector. After a while, Blevins finds his horse and gun in Encantada. Blevins was also put to death for killing one of the people in the village. John and Rawlins are put into prison in Saltillo. Alejandra bribes Alfonsa to let John and Rawlins free. Rawlins goes back to Texas, while John stays with Alejandra. Alejandra does not leave with John, because she does not want to leave her family for John. Later, John goes back to Encantada and retrieves the American horses. John makes it back to Texas, very wounded.
1. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy is about three teenage boys that run away from home to go to Mexico. When John Grady Cole, Lacey Rawlins, and Jimmy Blevins reach Encantada, Mexico, John and Lacey find work at a ranch with Don Hector. After a while, Blevins finds his horse and gun in Encantada. Blevins was also put to death for killing one of the people in the village. John and Rawlins are put into prison in Saltillo. Alejandra bribes Alfonsa to let John and Rawlins free. Rawlins goes back to Texas, while John stays with Alejandra. Alejandra does not leave with John, because she does not want to leave her family for John. Later, John goes back to Encantada and retrieves the American horses. John makes it back to Texas, very wounded.
2. The theme of the All the Pretty Horses is challenging what is right, and what is wrong. John knows that loving Alejandra is wrong, but he continues to see her. When John was in prison, the captain and Emilio ridiculed John for “paying his way out of prison.” John learns to surrender against committed beliefs, or views on certain things.
3. The author’s tone is smooth and calm.
“By evening they’d bought a canteenful of stool and were passing it back and forth among themselves as they rode and soon they quite drunk.”
“My father had a great sense of the connectedness of things. I’m not sure I share it.”
“He smiled and looked at them and as there was indeed time he told them all that had happened.”
“By evening they’d bought a canteenful of stool and were passing it back and forth among themselves as they rode and soon they quite drunk.”
“My father had a great sense of the connectedness of things. I’m not sure I share it.”
“He smiled and looked at them and as there was indeed time he told them all that had happened.”
4. Diction: The author’s wording was simple and easy to understand.
“The guard stepped forward and unlocked the handcuffs. The captain was looking out the window.”
Syntax: McCarthy’s sentences were detailed and long.
“He held the mecate while Rawlins undid the sideropes from the hackamore and knelt and tired them to the front hobbles.”
Character: The way the character’s spoke and their actions helped convey the theme.
“With the last of his money he bought coffee and tortillas and some tinned fruit and beans. “
Tone: The author’s tone also helped deliver the theme to the reader.
“He dropped the lead rope and slapped the horse on the rump and it went trotting out of the stable holding its head to one side so as not to step on the trailing rope.”
“The guard stepped forward and unlocked the handcuffs. The captain was looking out the window.”
Syntax: McCarthy’s sentences were detailed and long.
“He held the mecate while Rawlins undid the sideropes from the hackamore and knelt and tired them to the front hobbles.”
Character: The way the character’s spoke and their actions helped convey the theme.
“With the last of his money he bought coffee and tortillas and some tinned fruit and beans. “
Tone: The author’s tone also helped deliver the theme to the reader.
“He dropped the lead rope and slapped the horse on the rump and it went trotting out of the stable holding its head to one side so as not to step on the trailing rope.”
