Tuesday, June 9, 2020
The Constant Progression of Society and the Futility of Dreams - Literature Essay Samples
Cormac McCarthyââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËAll the Pretty Horsesââ¬â¢ exposes the futility of clinging to ââ¬Å"phantomâ⬠dreams which are ultimately ââ¬Å"falling awayâ⬠as a result of the inevitable progression of society. McCarthy emphasises that protagonist John Grady Cole is unable to achieve the idealistic life of an American cowboy of the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢ and is instead left adrift and disillusioned, wondering ââ¬Å"what happens to countryâ⬠and mourning a bygone era. ââ¬ËAll the Pretty Horsesââ¬â¢ further illustrates his powerlessness in the ââ¬Ëadultââ¬â¢ world. McCarthys depiction of John Gradys reflections in his grandfathers office demonstrates the unrelenting modernisation of society and the hopelessness of longing for a past American era, embodied to John Grady Cole in the life of his grandfather. The use of polysyndeton in McCarthyââ¬â¢s description of how John Grady ââ¬Å"entered his grandfatherââ¬â¢s office and went to the desk and turned on the lamp and sat downâ⬠builds momentum in the beginning of the passage. ââ¬Å"September 13thâ⬠, the date of his grandfatherââ¬â¢s death, forms an abrupt end to this momentum, underscoring its significance for John Grady as the demise of his chance of running the family ranch like the quintessential American cowboy. John Grady Coleââ¬â¢s yearning for the past is revealed through McCarthyââ¬â¢s pithy descriptions of his present surroundings, such as ââ¬Å"a glass paperweightâ⬠and ââ¬Å"an ashtrayâ⬠, which are ultimately of no consequence to him in comparison to his dream of the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢. The repetition of ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠demonstrates the officeââ¬â¢s appeal for John Grady, as it is in itself a vestige of the past and allows him to imagine himself living out his dream and literally ââ¬Å"[cross] his boots on the desktopâ⬠in imitation of his grandfather. Using lyrical sentences only in the depiction of the natural landscape, McCarthy underscores John Gradyââ¬â¢s almost spiritual connection to the ââ¬Å"starlit prairieâ⬠which he sees ââ¬Å"falling away to the northâ⬠, as inevitably out of reach as the attainment of his dream. The impossibility of John Grady achieving the life he longs for is further conveyed through the ââ¬Å"telegraph polesâ⬠that ââ¬Å"yoked across the constellations passing east to westâ⬠, illustrating the cruel intrusion of civilisation upon the landscape. Now marked by these ââ¬Å"black crossesâ⬠of modern society, the landscape is unable to form the unchar ted western frontier of John Gradyââ¬â¢s dream. McCarthyââ¬â¢s use of symbolism in ââ¬Å"crossesâ⬠further suggests that the dream itself has died. The ââ¬Å"clock [striking] elevenâ⬠and the ââ¬Å"small brass calendarâ⬠, representing the passage of time, serve to emphasise the pointless nature of John Gradyââ¬â¢s dream of the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢. Interrupting John Gradyââ¬â¢s contemplations in the dark room, his mother ââ¬Å"turned on the wall switch lightâ⬠, a simple action exemplifying the inevitability of modernity impinging upon his dream of the past. Illustrating his desire not to confront this harsh reality, John Grady ââ¬Å"looked at her and looked out the window againâ⬠and then symbolically ââ¬Å"turned off the lightâ⬠as soon as she departed, an action parallel to his previous futile requests that his mother allow him to ââ¬Å"run the ranchâ⬠, despite the reality that it had ââ¬Å"barely paid expenses for twenty y earsâ⬠. When asked by his mother what he is doing, John Grady merely replies ââ¬Å"settinâ⬠, the brevity and stillness of the word emphasising his physical immobility and desire to remain transfixed by the past rather than move forward. While McCarthy emphasises the constant progression of society, Johyn Gradys experiences in Mexico exemplify his ultimate vulnerability in the harsh adult world, which renders him further incapable of achieving his dream. Conversing with Don Hector, whose dominance over John Grady is emphasised by the boyââ¬â¢s position ââ¬Å"downtableâ⬠, John Grady is told they ââ¬Å"can speak Englishâ⬠, as Don Hector further asserts his power by determining the language of their conversation. The hacendadoââ¬â¢s superiority to the penniless John Grady is underscored by McCarthyââ¬â¢s description of the ââ¬Å"silver trayâ⬠and ââ¬Å"cups and creampitcherâ⬠and ââ¬Å"sugar bowlâ⬠carried out by the servant, as well as the hacendadoââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"chocolatecoloured vealâ⬠boots, drawing attention to his incredible wealth. Attempting to embody the idealised American cowboy, John Grady declares he ââ¬Å"just [takes his coffee] blackâ⬠, a trait characteri stic of those from ââ¬Å"Texas.â⬠However McCarthy illustrates that while John Grady can endeavour to emulate this persona on a superficial level, until he endures a loss of innocence through the killing of the cuchillero in the Saltillo prison, he is unable to assume the identity of the American cowboy entirely. Underscoring John Gradyââ¬â¢s naivety, Don Hector is surprised at the boyââ¬â¢s candid revelation he is only ââ¬Å"sixteenâ⬠, claiming ââ¬Å"when [he] was sixteen [he] told people [he] was eighteen.â⬠Through this admission, McCarthy illustrates that John Grady fundamentally lacks the survivalist mentality that ensures the success of individuals such as Don Hector. Through John Gradyââ¬â¢s disillusionment following his return from Mexico, McCarthy illustrates the negative consequences of resolutely following oneââ¬â¢s dreams without consideration of reality. The desolation felt by John Grady as he tells Rawlins ââ¬Å"all that had happenedâ⬠is underscored by the ââ¬Å"phantom fleetâ⬠of nightclouds that pass overhead and Rawlinsââ¬â¢ revelation that ââ¬Å"your daddy diedâ⬠and Abuela is ââ¬Å"real sick.â⬠Through such explicit references to death, McCarthy suggests John Gradyââ¬â¢s experiences of the actual brutality of society in Mexico have left him utterly disenchanted with his dream of the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢, as is further insinuated by the ââ¬Å"dead moonâ⬠that ââ¬Å"hung in the westâ⬠. When questioned by Rawlins what he is ââ¬Å"goin to doâ⬠, John Grady replies ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t knowâ⬠four separate times, exemplifying the loss of purpose and direction that has resulted from his efforts to live in the past. The uncertainty of John Gradyââ¬â¢s future in a rapidly modernising America is also conveyed through his bewilderment and failure to understand ââ¬Å"what happens to countryâ⬠. Although Rawlins is unable to answer this question, through the symbolism of the ââ¬Å"lights of the cityâ⬠which ââ¬Å"hung over the desertâ⬠, McCarthy insinuates that the constant progression of society has resulted in the demise of the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢. Just as Rawlins ââ¬Å"[squats] on his heels so as to watch [John Grady] a little while longerâ⬠, John Grady attempts to keep hold of the ââ¬Å"rareâ⬠and disappearing era he represents. However like John Gradyââ¬â¢s figure passing ââ¬Å"down the skylineâ⬠, ââ¬Å"after a whileâ⬠the ââ¬ËOld Westââ¬â¢ is ââ¬Å"goneâ⬠, exemplifying the ultimate futility of his idealistic dream. ââ¬ËAll the Pretty Horsesââ¬â¢ provides a personal exploration of the consequences of pursuing dreams which conflict with the continuous progression of society. Emphasising the naivety of John Grady Cole in his encounters of the harshness of reality, McCarthy suggests his innocence and inability to accept the modernisation of society renders him unable to achieve his dream. McCarthy further acknowledges the futility of clinging to ââ¬Å"[oneââ¬â¢s] countryâ⬠, suggesting that such idealism ultimately leaves individuals suffering an acute sense of loss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)