logo

53 pages 1 hour read

Cormac McCarthy

All The Pretty Horses

Cormac McCarthyFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1992

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

The Spiritual Significance of Horses

The title All the Pretty Horses alludes to a traditional American lullaby, “All the Pretty Little Horses,” which is of unclear origin. The horses of the lullaby are a promise to a child and an invocation to dream, and McCarthy taps into that desire in John Grady’s character, whose love and respect for horses is a clear driver of his journey and his identity; when he’s in prison, the novel even goes so far as to say “horses [are] always the right thing to think about” (204). McCarthy evokes the lullaby to connect John Grady’s infatuation with an idealized version of the American West to the living animals that embody his dreams and values.

Horses are often described with lush detail, emphasizing their inextricable role in ranching life and vaquero culture. McCarthy builds on this portrayal to establish a dual identity in horses in Part 2. First, horses are natural beings that belong outside of the domain of humanity and have a spiritual significance. When they are up in the mountains, an old man John Grady works with tells him “it would be pointless to speak of no horses in the world for God would not permit such a thing” (111).

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 53 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools