Although john grady is warned off by alfonsa, alejandras cynical and manipulative greataunt, he nevertheless falls in love with the girl, and they begin an illicit affair. John grady cole the protagonist of all the pretty horses and billy parham the protagonist of the crossing work together on a cattle. The central protagonist is mccarthys first certifiably good man, a 16yearold boy named john grady cole. But john gradys good fortune is imperiled by his infatuation with don hectors beautiful daughter, alejandra.
John grady s mother, referred to as she, switches on the light and comes into the office to ask what hes doing. The boy was raised for a significant part of his youth, perhaps 15 of his 16 years, by a family of mexican. The books, about life on the range, have also inspired a string of poor imitations, such as the bestselling novel the horse whisperer. The grandfather s ranch has been left to john grady s mother, a smalltime actress who has no interest in it and will sell it. The character of john gradys mother in all the pretty. The title is a reference to sodom and gomorrah genesis 19. Cormac mccarthys all the pretty horses introduces john grady cole and lacey rawlins who, at sixteen, set off on horseback for an adventure that will teach them about loyalty, the code of violence. As the novel begins, coles history has just been yanked out from under him like a. At sixteen, his dream is to run the ranch on which hes lived his whole life. The novel tells of john grady cole, a 16yearold who grew up on his grandfathers ranch in san angelo, texas.
The main character of all the pretty horses, john grady cole certainly does not begin mccarthys novel as a prototypical western hero. In the next scene john grady and his friend rawlins have returned from a ride and are discussing john grady s mother, who has a boyfriend only two years older than john grady. In john grady cole, mccarthy writes every fathers secretly wishedfor son. The protagonist of the book, john grady cole is a sixteenyearold from san angelo, texas, who enjoys working on his family s ranch when hes not in school. John gradys mother has divorced john gradys father. In the spring of 1948 on a small texas ranch, sixteen year old john grady cole attends the funeral of his grandfather, with whom he has lived since his parents separation. Mary catherine john gradys girlfriend in san angelo, texas, who, at the start of the novel, has left him for another man. All the pretty horses by cormac mccarthy books the. Recently divorced from his father, john gradys mother seems to care little about ranch life in san angelo. Luisa and arturo along with abuela, the old mother of luisa. Two decades later i hear the book on its own terms. She had run away to california years ago, though his father tells john grady that she returned for his sake. Franklin the lawyer john grady consults in san angelo about his parents divorce and the ownership of the family ranch.