Throughout the pages 59-101 of McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses, many imperative events take place. In the beginning of this section, John Grady, Blevins, and Rawlins are continuing on together in Mexico and when searching for water, end up drinking a large amount of alcohol. In fact, they are so intoxicated that Blevins ends up falling off of his horse. Later on there is a storm brewing and Blevins responds with intense fear. He explains that many of his family members have died or have been badly injured as a result of being struck by lightning. He then proceeds to hide out in a ditch in order to avoid what he believes to be his fate. The next morning it is evident that as a result of this he has lost his clothes, his horse, and his gun. The three continue to ride until they find the person who has stolen Blevins’ horse. Blevins steals his horse back, speeds away, and becomes separated from John Grady and Rawlins. It is unclear whether Blevins was caught by the people he stole from or if he escaped.
John Grady and Rawlins assert that this is not the last they will be seeing of Blevins, however they continue to move on. They meet a group of vaqueros and follow them to the Hacienda de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción. On the way, they catch a glimpse of Alejandra, the ranch owner’s daughter, and are enamored by her beauty. Here, they are hired by Armondo and plan to break in the horses that are at the hacienda.
This entire section entails a great amount of movement while also incorporating many imperative conversations. A theme that came up twice in this section is religion. During one discussion, Blevins accuses John Grady of being an infidel when he is asked whether he believes in Judgment day. In another conversation, Rawlins asks John Grady if he believes in heaven and whether he believes that God looks out for people or not. This inclusion of religious conversation led me to solidify my understanding of the importance of religion in America. In previous class periods, the idea of the omnipresent Anglo-Protestant culture was presented as innate in the American identity. Through Rawlins, John Grady, and Blevins, the concept that religion is of significance is exemplified on their journey and in their lives as Americans.
3 replies on “ERA All the Pretty Horses pp. 59-101”
You bring up a very interesting point in your discussion, religion. In a book like this you would think that religion is not a big part of their thoughts and actions. Yet, it is quite the opposite. In the first 100 pages there have already been 3 or more conversations about religion and what it means to the characters. I feel that the character Blevins brings this aspect of religion to the books. He is written as a believer even though he has suffered a very hard life. Grady on the other hand doesn’t fully accept religion as a part of his life, and this is understandable for his character. He has lost almost all of his family, his grandfather died, father is sick, and mother basically abandoned him. These are not strong pillars in someone’s life and makes it hard for those to believe in a great good or higher power out there.
Lily, reading through this book I did not deeply look into the religion side, however when you mention it, this aspect stands out. America was created on a base of religion and even in todays world, religion has a value on all the decisions that are made. Your summary of the novel paraphrases with your argument perfectly. Due to the fact that these people have left home and are alone now, religion is a more prominent part in their life, because of their vulnerability to new land and new findings along the way. I am excited to see throughout the course how religion exemplifies with each chapter we take.
This idea of religion is one that contrasts well with John Grady Cole’s identity. He seems like a man who is very pragmatic, and does not want help from outside sources or a greater power. He is a rogue individual, and as we see later in the book, it would make sense that he is not very religious. This is because in prison, he decides to spend the last of his money on a knife to protect himself instead of giving it to the guards to have them look out for him.