All The Pretty Horses

Throughout McCarthyÆs novel, the nature plays a vital role in GradyÆs life and in illustrating a number of themes of the novel pertaining to human existence. GradyÆs fairly mystical relationship with horses is but one of many examples of the connection between nature and human beings. At turns throughout the novel, nature is portrayed as embodying a large number of qualities that pertain to human existence. At times it acts as a measuring stick of personal worth, as opportunity, as a means of understanding and relating, as hope, as penance, as solace, as authority, as rebellion, as escape, and ultimately as refuge. This analysis will demonstrate how GradyÆs experiences with nature help him come to turns with the fact that for human beings, living in an often indifferent, violent world of existential doubt and suffering, only connection wit

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tends, ôThe train has a greater significance than simply breaking the idyllic scene: It is juxtaposed with the death of ColeÆs way of lifeö (Oxoby 2002, 348). From this point on in GradyÆs life, things will never be the same. In the maturation from innocence to maturity, the landscape and nature offers a mirror for self-reflection of the process of development. Grady has little idea what is in store for him when he anticipates his journey to Mexico. Along the way he will experience love, violence, theft, prison, murder, and the justice system. Through this journey, nature affords him the opportunity to discover his identity and the ways of the world. He will be a changed person when he has experienced Mexico, one that is not only more mature but one that is also more aware of himself and how the world works. It will be a development process in which he is hard on himself and unforgiving, but eventually he will come to understand that part he plays in his own life and existence. As one literary critic says of this connection between GradyÆs development and nature, ôFor John Grady Cole, the border between Texas and Mexico is the line between childhood and its end, at least in the somewhat limited sense that the border country
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Grady AlejandraÆs, IÆll McCarthy, Throughout McCarthyÆs, Rawlins Blevinsùlight, Nevertheless Grady, La Vega, Horses Grady, Grady GradyÆs, Grady Cole, Texas Mexico, mccarthy 1992, pretty horses, connection nature, human existence, relationship horses, nature acts, john grady cole, critic contends, grady little, throughout novel, sense hope, arnold 1998 259, mccarthy 1992 nature, blair 2001 301, measuring stick character,
Approximate Word count = 3437
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)