The first thirty pages of McCarthy’s novel are chiefly an exposition for the atmosphere that John Grady and his family are living in. After the death of his grandfather, the family ranch and estate is put up for sale. A hotly debated topic in the household, the grandson of the family wishes to run the ranch himself, while his mother wants to live a life free of the constraints of the ranch. The father of the family, who is of little help in pushing the decision either way, is not very present in family life as he and John’s mother appear to be separated. The harsh realities of ranch life are looming over the story throughout the beginning of the novel. Ranching, a barely sustainable business to begin with, is the only thing that the Gradys’ have ever known. Now the family has to make the difficult decision to give up everything that their former patriarch spent his entire life building. After failing to convince his mother to keep possession of the ranch with him at the helm, John decides to take a trip to get some distance from his mother. Faced with a new journey ahead, it is unknown will come for the protagonist John. All that is known for certain is that his beloved family ranch will not be part of his future and he is going to be left out to fight for himself in the world. What does this excerpt say about the struggles of the American rancher? How are the recurring themes of hope disappointment present throughout the reading?
One reply on “ERA McCarth pp1-30”
In the 1950’s ranches were very popular in society. They accounted for a large majority of houses during that time period. The problem wasn’t obtaining a ranch, but keeping it open was sometimes difficult. Ranches were usually a whole family operation. Without everyones cooperation and willingness to have multiple jobs on the ranch, it was hard to balance all that goes into running a ranch. Multiple types of livestock had to be accounted for and bred. Without everyone on board, it was easy for the ranches success to decline.
To answer your second question of how themes of hope and disappointment are present during the reading I look at the conflict between John Grady and his mother. After the head of the family ranch, John Grady’s grandfather dies, Grady hopes to be in charge of the ranch. When his mother becomes aware of her son’s hope, she immediately shuts it down. She wants nothing to do with the ranch and hopes to begin a new life. This brings an extreme disappointment to Grady which is present within the first 30 pages.