The ending of All the Pretty Horses reveals a lot to us about the character of John Grady. In this closing section we see a significant amount of emotional baggage that Grady has been holding onto. In particular when Grady finds out from Alejandra that she will not go to America with him we see the strong impact it has on Grady. When Rawlins and Grady went their separate ways, the main cause was that Grady wanted to reunite with Alejandra and continue their relationship. When this relationship is put to an end by Alejandra’s loyalty to her family Grady is devastated. He believed that she was the one meant for him and losing that person impact him significantly. He has already been through so much trauma. Losing his friend, being imprisoned and attacked, and now the one good thing that he truly cares about is gone as well. Seeing the emotions of Grady come out and the amount of pain he experienced from this loss conveys the value that Grady placed on Alejandra. Did Grady’s emotions harm the overall group? How does love relate and contrast the values typically associated with the frontier?
Author: Andrew Doane
In this section of All the Pretty Horses we see key aspects of the characters personality traits and alot of conflict. Rawlins and Grady are transported to another prison facility. This new facility is very cruel and dangerous, from the moment they arrive they realize and understand that it is not a good place for Americans to be in. Grady and Rawlins are badly injured and attacked constantly during their first few days at the prison. During these first few days both Grady and Rawlins meet a prisoner who seems to have a lot of power within the prison. This prisoner, perez, says he can help them escape but only for money. Without any money the boys cannot bribe their way out of jail and are still stuck inside. After the meeting with Perez, Rawlins is stabbed in the courtyard of the prison and is taken away to the medical ward, making him lose contact with Grady. Grady goes back to talk to Perez because he is desperate to talk to Rawlins but Perez says he still will not help. Following the stabbing of Rawlins and the second meeting with Perez, Grady decides to spend the little amount of money he has on a knife in order to protect himself so what happened to Rawlin doesn’t happen to him. Unfortunately Brady is attacked and badly injured, luckily he is able to kill his attacker with the knife he bought. After being in the infirmary due to the injuries he suffered, both him and Rawlins are released with an envelope of money which was provided by the aunt who lived on the ranch they had recently worked at. Once they are released they both decide to go separate paths. Rawlins wants to head back to Texas and Grady wants to attempt to get their horses back and win over Alejandra.
This section of the novel reveals many interesting pieces of both Rawlins and Grady’s character. The horrible experiences that they go through in the jail show how strong they are. Grady is able to convince Rawlins to not give up even in this time of extreme difficulty. Even though they made it through this traumatic experience together they still decide to go separate ways in the end. Rawlins cannot live in this constant state of danger and fear which is why he decides to go back to Texas but Grady is still set upon seeking justice for himself and reconnecting with his love. The motivation to stay in Mexico for both of them differ significantly which is why Rawlins is leaving. The companionship that Rawlins and Grady have for each other is clearly exemplified during this tough time at the prison. Rawlins was motivated by Grady to continue on and having one another there for eachother helped both of them significantly. The tough aspects of the frontier are brought out heavily during this section of the book in that there is a lot of conflict and violence that the boys have to face. How does the separation of Grady and Rawlins show aspects about Grady’s character? How does the prison represent aspects of the frontier? Lastly, does the relationship between Grady and Rawlins show that individualism can sometimes be less favorable in places like the frontier?
In this section of All the Pretty Horses we start to see the first instances of intense and serious conflict. After Blevins decides to hide from the impending storm due to a strong superstition he holds about lightning he ends up losing his horse. When John Grady and Rawlin find him they continue south but as they enter the village they discover Belvins horse which has already been claimed by someone else. After this discovery there is a little bit of internal conflict as they discuss attempting to take back Blevins horse. In the end they decide to attempt to take back the horse which results in everyone waking up and chasing the three boys away. Blevin is separated from Grady and Rawlin during this chase. This set of events shows us one of the first real intense moments of conflict and helps to exemplify some of the values that the frontier typically consists of. The journey the boys have had down to Mexico so far has been relatively peaceful. This attempt at getting back stolen property and running into trouble represents some of the dangers of the frontier. Grady and Rawlin both end up leaving Blevin in order to escape their pursuers. This encounter with conflict helps to solidify the value of individualism into the narrative being that even though Blevin is somewhat of a friend to the others at this point, they still end up leaving him after they are separated during the chase. The values of the typical frontier and the strong sense of individualism are both enforced through this specific conflict.
Huntington speaks about American identity and nationalism in the latests chapter we had to read for Who Are We? and he makes some very interesting points about the relationship between identity and conflict. As we have already read, there is a clear connection between conflict and identity. When groups are in conflict with one-another or they become closer in order to become stronger and perform better during said conflict. As Huntington explains American nationalism and identity increased almost every time there was a major conflict. During the early wars at the start of the nation the first distinctions from being considered “Britons” to being “Americans” are made. The shared experience of fighting for what they believed in brought early Americans closer together and helped create the idea of an American identity. This identity was fostered throughout the creation of America and continues to be experienced today. Prominent symbols like the American flag and Uncle Sam have reinforced American identity and created a sense of unison throughout the entirety of the nation. In contemporary society it feel, however, that American identity is fading. Throughout history America has almost always absorbed new groups and added them to the overall American identity. What about contemporary society is causing the loss of American Identity? Are symbols of American identity still representative of specific things or have they lost meaning? Lastly, how important is American identity to maintaining the United States as a strong country?
The movie The Witch was not only a thrilling tale about a puritan family, but also gave key insight into the life and values of early American puritan settlers. The movie starts by showing us a puritan family being banished from the local group due to differing religious interpretations. After the family is banished, they decide to create their own homestead were everything at first appears to be going well. However, as the eldest daughter in the family is playing with the newest born son, he is taken away. The family blames his disappearance on a wolf, but the true reason for his disappearance is because a witch living in the nearby woods kidnapped him and used him in a ritual. This ritual makes the witch young so she can later in the movie capture the eldest boy in the family and just like the youngest son, kill him. The tragedies this family experience show us key values about American puritanism in the early days of American settlement. The family as a whole is heavily religious and the reaction to these horrible events the family experiences is intense prayer and the consistent acknowledgment and guilt for the original sin they are born with. The importance of religion in their lives was clearly a part of early American life and the dedication to avoiding sin was prominent as well. One of the most interesting aspects of the movie in relation to the lives of early American settlers was the fact that the family was excluded from the local group due to a religious difference. Since most of these settlers left Europe to escape religious persecution it is interesting to see that there are still consequences in America for not conforming to the typical religious views. The relation between religion and identity is then interesting to look at in early America. Since we are reading Who are We? we have learned that religion can often play a role in both individual and group identities. Clearly religion was intricate to group identities in early America, is religion still a part of American identity? How can religious persecution be explained in a society that was meant to avoid this? Lastly, how did intense religious beliefs shape the lives and decision of early American settlers?