27 Contemporary Literature, 1970 to Present
in the protagonists’ desire to be free from the complications of modernity.
For a discussion of coming-of-age themes, students might also see John
Blair.
- The title of McCarthy’s sixth novel signals the importance of horses in that
work. Indeed, their presence in All the Pretty Horses reflects both thematic and
historical significance. Students could investigate the importance of horses to
the history of the southwestern United States and/or their place within Native
American culture (as suggested by the passage about “painted ponies and the
riders of that lost nation,” p. 5). How is this history of horses relevant to the
overall concerns of the novel and what does it say about the contemporary
West? Students should also consider various representations of horses as wild
and domesticated, and as warriors and ranch animals. Also worth examining
are the attitudes of characters about horses and their relationships to them, for
example, Luís’s belief that the souls of horses and men mirror each other and
also the connection and interdependence of John Grady and horses. A useful
discussion of the topic can be found in “Horses as Warriors in All the Pretty
Horses” (see Sanborn, pp. 115–130). Stephen Tatum also discusses horses (see
pp. 46–47) as does Georg Guillemin (in Arnold and Luce’s A Cormac McCar-
thy Companion: The Border Trilogy, pp. 92–130), who focuses on the repre-
sentation of horses in the context of pastoralism and its part in McCarthy’s
environmental critique. In West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1993, pp. 89–110) Jane Tompkins has a chapter
titled “Horses” that would provide thought-provoking context for working
with this topic.
- In discussions of McCarthy’s early novels (The Orchard Keeper, Outer Dark,
and Child of God), he is often compared to William Faulkner, Carson McCul-
lers, and Flannery O’Connor, all of whom have been described as American
Southern Gothic writers. Like its generic predecessor, Southern Gothic is
characterized by horror, violence, and supernatural elements, which are used
not only to create suspense in the narrative but also to explore social, historical,
and cultural issues and psychological underpinnings of characters. Southern
Gothic is also noted for its use of “grotesques,” defined as characters, settings,
and situations distinguished by extreme and disturbing qualities, which cap-
ture and often challenge underlying social problems. Although All the Pretty
Horses is not described as a Southern Gothic novel, students might explore its
connection to the genre, in particular, its use of features such as horror, super-
natural elements, and the grotesque. Is there a connection between these ele-
ments and a social problem or issue? For example, what issues are highlighted
by the images of bloody cruelty, terrible violence, and horrible depravity? Does
the novel ultimately have a pessimistic or an optimistic view of humanity?
What does the novel say about the nature of human beings? Are people natu-
rally good or evil? Another way to approach this topic would be to compare
the novel to one by a Southern writer. For example, how does Faulkner’s story
“Spotted Horses” compare to All the Pretty Horses? How has McCarthy been
influenced by Faulkner?
