Here’s the topic of your first LATAW blog entry:
Note a specific moment, line, or scene – large or small –
that was particularly memorable (for you).
In your entry explain why the moment carried so much weight for you.
I’ll start.
My first inclination would be to center my entry on
something from late in the book – the prison fight, the last moments with
Alejandra, returning for the horses, talking to the judge. I love when battle scarred John Grady Cole
walks into the jail and says to the corrupt captain, “I come for my horses”
(without the quotation marks, of course).
All these moments had resonance and power for me. But so as not to steal anyone’s thunder, I’m
going to go back to the first third of the book and talk about the moment that
they crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, when they were “lined out behind one
another and making for the alien shore like a party of marauders.” While I was reading this section, I was
following their route on my iPad with Google Earth, and based on the various
place names given, it wasn’t too difficult to pinpoint the general area of
their crossing – which was pretty cool.
The reason it was so memorable for me, though, was because it was easy
to imagine the symbolic importance of the crossing. Here are two guys – three if we count
Blevins – who are riding backwards in time, searching for a life that is more
authentic, more exciting, more passionate.
Crossing the Rio Grande would have been the portal into that lost and
perhaps romanticized world for which they were searching. I love how, once they reach the Mexico side,
they gallop along the beach “fanning with their hats and laughing and pulling
up and patting the horses on the shoulder.”
They’re like unrepentant
prisoners emerging from a dungeon into a world about which they know nothing
but have dreamed about in their dark souls. (That last line was my attempt at a
Cormac McCarthy imitation :))
. It keys into some of the discussions
we’ve had about the perfectly chalked frontier line in 19th century
America. On one side is the social
world, filled with complicated relationships (mother, father, girlfriend) and the
obligatory sense of responsibility that goes along with living in society – and
on the other is simplicity, freedom, and rugged individualism. It didn’t turn out that way exactly, but I
imagine that’s how they would have felt as they waded naked across the river.
I would like to discuss the final day that John Grady spends with Alejandra in Zacatecas in secret. This scene in the novel carries a great deal of power in relation to the overall story and themes of the book. In relation to the story this scene is very powerful because it is the first time that Grady had seen Alejandra since he had fled from the Ranch, and the fact that he was seeing the love of his life for "the last time" evokes a lot of emotion. As well this scene is powerful because it is the portion of the book in which John learns about the fact that Alejandra was the one who informed Don Hector about their affair. This scene also carries weight because of its importance to the overall theme of the West. When John takes Alejandra to the train and says goodbye it is as if that part of his frontier experience is now over, much like when a group sets up a town in the fronteir. The adventure for Grady was now over and he thus has to go on to find the new adventure and new frontier to explore.
ReplyDeleteThats all i have to say.
One scene in the novel that really stood out to me was the night that John Grady, Rawlins, and Blevins got drunk and a lightning storm came around. Blevins is paranoid about lightning because half of his family was struck and killed by it. Blevins decides its a good idea to hide in a forest where it's obvious a flood would come through. Rawlins and Grady go somewhere else for the night and they come back the next morning only to find a naked Blevins who doesn't have any belongings and no more horse. At this point, Grady, being the mor mature boy of the group, gives Blevins some clothes. This stood out to me because it showed me that even in all that chaos, something nice could come out of it. It also stood out to me because John Grady was not afraid to be nice to Blevins as it seems Rawlins is. Rawlins eventually feels bad for Blevins but not until after he is shot and killed by the guard. (which by the way was really uncalled for...) Rawlins doesn't open up until after Blevins died, this stood out to me in a negative way because I don't understand how Rawlins could pretend to be so mean to Blevins all this time and then he never had a chance to show that he was actually somewhat of a friend to Rawlins. Anyways, thats my two cents, thanks for reading it.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I'd like to say that Adam and Cooper did a great job. Adam wrote exactly the scene I was going to talk about, so I had to think of another subtopic. I am going to discuss some events in the third chapter. The thing that caught my eye was the argument between John and Rawlins. Rawlins seems to believe that their arrest was purely John's fault because authorities found out about his "affair" with Alejandra. More specifically this "authority" was Don Hector, I think... Personally, this was an important scene for me because this seemed like the first time that the dos amigos were in somewhat of a conflicting situation. They have seen some odd times throughout the story but this was the first time that they had true trouble. Lastly, this scene actually made me laugh in amusement because of how stupid their argument was portrayed in the book.Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteFor me, the most memorable moment of this book was the scene when Blevins died. At this point in the book, we knew enough to regard John Grady, Rawlins, and Blevins as a trio whom we liked and supported. Though Rawlins clearly disliked Blevins from the beginning, John Grady actually treated him fairly and even possibly liked him (such as the scene when he lends him clothes...without any snide comments). So then when I read the lines immediately following his death--"We're okay, whispered Rawlins. We're okay...John Grady didn't answer."--I was really saddened at the end of our favorite trio. What really affected me was John Grady's subtle grief. His character is developed as tough and devoid of emotion, but when Blevins is shot, we start to really understand him and relate to him better. Blevins made some interesting choices which landed him in jail, but I don't think he deserved to be shot. Even Rawlins, who didn't even bother to hide his dislike for Blevins, didn't believe that they would kill him ("They caint just walk him out there and shoot him..."). He was only 13!
ReplyDeleteThe scene I immediately thought of is kind of weird. It was from the beginning of the book when John was eating at a diner with his father. It has been a while so I cannot remember the exact details of the conversation, but I do remember that it was a slow conversation that didn't really end up anywhere. John wanted to spend time with his father but he knew his father didn't exactly have the same intentions. It goes along with Mr. H's point about being liberated when he finally leaves. He was completely sure he wanted to leave, and this scene illustrates why very well. He wasn't comfortable with his life, and the before and after shot of his happiness is almost black and white.
ReplyDeleteOf all the scenes in the book, the opening scene really stands out to me the most. Having never read a book that fits into the western literature genre so seamlessly, I found the writing to be rather minimalist in comparison to the majority of texts discussed in a typical English course. Where as in a normal book I am sometimes conscious that I am reading an author's work (the language either seems forced or the author's bias is revealed in the book), in All The Pretty Horses everything seemed natural and depicted with as little interference as possible. I found the writing style to be refreshing, in the midst of all the verbose writing I am confronted with on a daily basis (of which I am probably guilty of myself). Cormac McCarthy really proves that you do not need big words to convey big emotions and I really appreciate that. I know I didn't really elaborate on the particular section itself, but the opening scene really introduced me to a style of writing I was yet to be acquainted with. -P. Stow
ReplyDeleteOne of the most memorable parts of the story, for me is towards the beginning of the story. Before John Grady leaves he visits with his mother and father. It surprised me how independent he is as a seventeen year old. His mother portrays the theme of individualism in the beginning as she searches for her career. Still pursuing her acting career, his mother is still in search for her dreams that she believed the West would help bring her of fame and fortune. In addition, when she goes out with a man after her show, instead of saying hello to her son after he attends her show. This also proves that she is more concerned with herself and her well being as she searches for a new husband. In regards to his father, he gives off the impression that he feels as though he should have been a better dad, however knows its too late, and has somewhat given up. I think the saddle was his last effort in improving his relationship with John Grady. The beginning helps to set up for the rest of the story, as it serves as a basis for why John Grady leaves, simply there is no one left to stick around for.
ReplyDeleteEvery entry above me is great. Im not really sure how im going to follow them up but ill give it a go. A very memorable scene for me in the book came rather early on when Grady, Rawlins and Blevins crossed the river into Mexico. As we know, Rawlins was always messing with Blevins. The scene when Rawlins challenged Blevins to use his gun caught me the most. Blevins destroyed Rawlins wallet with one shot and put an end to the pestering. As i read through this scene, i literally said 'Boom Roasted'. This scene proves significance to me because it shows that Blevins does have something to offer the trio as they continue on their frontier south. It parallels the theme of being on the new side. He left his family in search of something new, and proving he can offer more than just his presence to Grady and Rawlins helped validate his quest to individualism.
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ReplyDeleteTo me the scenes that immediately follow the action in the courthouse and dialogue between Grady and judge, or what I consider an "intermission" from the true western literature plot line, stand out the most to me (Late in chapter IV). As Grady journeys back to San Angelo he determines there are two people he must see (one of course, by chance, was on the radio). Just as Grady seeks out preacher Blevins my mind flashed to a movie I saw several years ago called Seven Pounds. I began to draw similarities from the movie as I realized, here is this cowboy who's two true loves are horses and a woman who was never destined to be with him; Just as Will Smith in the movie (who had lost his wife in a tragic car accident) identified candidates who would benefit from his organ donations upon his "timely" death, Grady was willing to give up something he almost died trying to obtain and something that meant everything to him (and to a stranger nonetheless). In addition, I believe the succeeding scene when Grady reunites with Rawlins is a standout scene for sure. After coming to terms with the fact that our protagonist would most likely never see his lover agin after that poignant departure from Zacatecas, I believe the dialogue between Grady and Rawlins is the only true scene of closure we gets the novel began to lose momentum in my opinion. The memorable and forgettable experiences they shared in Mexico could be put to rest and Grady was able to hear that his dad died during his absence from a trusted and beloved source.
ReplyDeleteThe book is filled with many themes, isolation being one of them. John Grady's relationship with his parents is almost nonexistent and with his cousin, there lacks connection. Grady is left to face his prison time alone and once out, is rejected by the woman he loves. With nothing left for him in Mexico he begins his journey to Texas alone. I thought that the prison scene with John Grady made me realize who John Grady was actually closest to. Of all the relationships in the book, Grady is closest with his horse as his love moves beyond admiration to pure understanding. In the end he finds himself a man in a country that’s not his, left alone to find one that is. After watching the funeral of Abuela, Louisa's mother, the last connection with the old way of life at the ranch, John Grady drifts westward with his horse by his side.
ReplyDeleteI don't have one particular moment or scene that I could define as my favorite, but one thing I did find special about the book was the strong sense of individuality that connected the Grady family in webs of themes, like not being able to escape your past, no matter how much you tell yourself you want to. John Grady's mother is chasing her unfinished dreams, while her seventeen year old son plans to run away from any sort of home he has ever known. His father seems to be eternally stuck in yesterdays, and all the things he never did. They're all in this sort of tunnel visioned reality, convinced to run into or towards anything but their past, but never fully escaping it. Their selfishness drives them apart, but uniquely connected them, on somewhat of a subconscious level; each of them feels the constant cold of isolation. And while they drove them selves into this isolation, they're together inside of it. What separates John is that he has a someone, an attainable memory, a friend, to depend on: his horse. I just thought it was interesting that the distance between the Grady's is what their family seemed to find themselves in, together.
ReplyDeleteI began to do my response sorta of late, so all of the scenes that were truly engraved into my mind were taken. Anyways, another scene that was truly unforgettable was the fight in the cafeteria and afterwards when Perez takes him in and cures John Grady. The cafeteria scene was a little bit shocking, but I could not stop reading it. When the narrator says, "But as he [ John Grady] sat he suddenly knew why this man was eating alone. It was too late to rise again." Those two sentences just sent chills down my spine, this fight scene really intrigued me because we saw another side of John Grady. He always put a tough look on, but I believe, that if he hadn't been brought to the brink of death by the man with the jaguar tattoo, Grady would have not been able to cold bloodily kill someone. Grady knew that it was now or never and took all of the strength that he had left to break the knife inside that man. Secondly, I like the proceeding scene because i always felt a little skeptical about Perez, there was something about him that did not sit well with me and when he sends his bodyguard to go help Grady after the fight and bring him to his "house" in the prison it showed me that he wasn't as evil as I assumed. Grady never made any deals with him and he still helped him gain his freedom. And, although, we later figure out that it was the grandaunt Alfonsa who pays for Grady's freedom, I believe that Perez could have let him die. I think that Perez was shocked and surprised that someone denied him an alliance and maybe admired Grady for that. I just thought how interesting it was to see how anyones mind and ideals can change in an instant as well as seeing the character act differently than how one, as the reader, would assume.
ReplyDelete" Son americanos ustedes? they said. Si. Son ladrones? Si. Ladrones muy famoses. Bandoleros. They sucked in their breath.(ladrones=thieves)
ReplyDeleteThis scene depicts the state of John Grady and Rawlins, after they had been arrested and were stopping through a village on their way to prison. Although the scene does convey the awful situation that both boys are in, it gives significant insight into something much more important. When Grady and Rawlins lived in Texas, they were defined by the people that knew them as teenage boys who lived in a small town in Texas. They had identities that established them as certain people, and in America, they would always be John Grady and Rawlins. But in Mexico, they could be whoever they wanted to be. Although John Grady and Rawlins give many reasons as to why they did decide to cross the Rio Grande, and risk everything, I believe they crossed because they wanted to define themselves. In Mexico, they were offered this opportunity, as the only thing that would define them was the phrase " Americanos". John Grady and Rawlins had the circumstance that they could say they were anybody they wanted to say they were. So, when a little girl asked John Grady what they were, he answered in a jocular manner and showed that Mexico offered freedom. This freedom, though it came at a price, was the freedom to be whoever you wanted to be. Unlike America, Mexico at that time served as an undiscovered place.
The scene that most stuck out to me was when John Grady was arguing with Rawlins about stealing Blevins's horse back. It was odd that John Grady, the more mature of the group, was wanting to steal the horse, no matter the repercussions. Though Rawlins was thinking about the consequences of getting caught. This just really proves that Grady had a strict code of what was right and loyalty was highest on it. It exemplified that Grady would follow his code and his friends no matter the cost to himself. It also shows that Grady's desire for the individualistic, romanticized cowboy lifestyle came second to his fierce loyalty. Even though that same quality of loyalty made him even more the picture of the gun-hand in "The West."
ReplyDeleteHi, it's Jacky
ReplyDelete