Violence In Cormac Mccarthy's All The Pretty Horses

Violence is a terrible thing, but is also essential in life. Without violence, there would be no such thing as reality, and no such person a real person. We walk in a world of two types of people: real and unreal. The real people have seen and experienced violence. They no longer see the world through eyes that see the wonderful and the paradise, but rather through eyes that “might never see it right again. Or worse did see it right at last. See it as it had always been, would forever be.” The real world is far different from the images one perceives it to be; before one experiences violence. Cormac McCarthy clearly shows this in his book, All The Pretty Horses. John Grady Cole, the main character is on and alleged “adventure” to seek out his cowboy dream. He is brought up short by the violence he had never seen before. The “Cowboy” reality is far

People walked around with Stetson’s on their heads, revolvers in their belts, and said “partner” to everyone. All the pretty Horses starts us off in the year 1948, therefore, this “Cowboy” time in America’s history takes place about a century before John Grady was born. This observation houses the blunt fact that the real Cowboy is gone during John Grady’s time, and this is why he goes to Mexico: to find his Cowboy dream. John Grady could not follow his dream in the U.S., there is electricity powering everything, cars going everywhere, and the cowboys were now drunk gamblers like his father. Along with these things, his family ranch was being given away, so there was no solace for John Grady, no place for him to escape the modern world. Again, this is why he went to Mexico. John Grady has experienced loss, remorse, and regret by the time All The Pretty Horses tells us that his ranch is being sold. What John Grady has not experienced yet is violence, for if he had, he would have known that his Cowboy dream could not be a reality no matter where he