The Red Pony

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and there was a made-for-television adaptation in 1973. The novella explores the themes of the Relationships Between Men and Boys and The Connection Between People and their Environment, as well as Jody’s Coming of Age.

This guide cites the 1970 Bantam Books edition of The Long Valley.

Content Warning: The Red Pony contains depictions of animal abuse and death.

Plot Summary

In the first story of The Red Pony, “The Gift,” Steinbeck introduces the characters living at Tiflin Ranch in the Salinas Valley of California: Carl Tiflin, Ruth Tiflin, Jody Tiflin, and Billy Buck. Jody, Carl and Ruth’s son, is 10 years old when his father gives him a red pony, which Jody names Gabilan after the nearby mountains.