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 J)
. 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'm going to have to agree with Mr. Harrington's point about their crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. This part of the story stood out to me as well. In my opinion, it seemed like this crossing of the Rio Grande was the escape into the dream of what the west represented. The idea of the untamed wild and the cowboy and everything that came in the frontier was vanishing. By traveling to Mexico, Rawlins and John Grady Cole were able to attempt to escape into the fantasy of the west.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the strongest scene for me was the point in which Rawlins decided to return home. This scene struck me for several reasons. One was Rawlins guilt and mourning for the loss of Blevins. Even after teasing Blevins for most of the journey, Rawlins was haunted by the fact that Blevins was killed. Towards the end of the story, Rawlins is described as tearing-up and "he looked old and sad" with the thought of Blevins being shot. Although he gave him a hard time, Rawlins claims that he "caint believe they just walked him out there and done him that way." He is torn knowing that Blevins is dead. Another reason this scene stood out to me was because it showed the end of Rawlins attempted escape to the fantasy of the west. Though he came to Mexico on horseback, crossing the Rio Grande, resembling a cowboy, he left for home in the back of a truck, showing that the idea of the west, the cowboy, and the thrill of adventure was vanishing.
I too loved the part that Zach just pointed out. The book is about the disappearance of the West as it had been known in the past. The point Zach made about the cowboys, West, and thrill of adventure vanishing was a great one in my opinion. I love the way that the book shows the downfall of the idealized West. Rawlins departure back to Texas showed an important point in the novel. In the beginning, Rawlins was excited and ready to become a cowboy, in short, the live the Western dream. The death of Blevins destroyed that dream and passion inside of Rawlins. Its an important part in the book because one who was living the dream lost the dream.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the book was the very end of the novel. The symbolism of Abuela's death and Cole's departure on horseback was very powerful to me. Abuela was the last thing that represented the Western dream. Upon her death, it left nothing for Cole in Texas. The ranch was gone and the only thing for Cole to do was move on. I love the transition in the book of the American dream. I also love that Cole does not stop pursuing the dream in the end.
The scene that impacted me the most relates to Zach's scene in that it is Rawlins' relationship with John Grady Cole, which contrasts greatly to Rawlins' hatred towards Blevins for most of the novel. When John Grady finally makes it back home the tone and my feelings as the reader transitions to being more at ease and healing. This washed over me with a wave of relief because it was closure for John Grady and Rawlins after all the horrors they'd been through. The warmth and companionship ringing through Rawlins' voice as he says, "sum buck," to John Grady is a very meaningful moment between the two friends and this stands out against all the other evils exposed throughout their journey.
ReplyDeleteThe moment in the book that struck me the most was the scene where Rawlins decided to leave John Grady Cole. At that point in the book, things are not going too well for both of them, since 1.) they're in jail and 2.) JGC is not only forced to be away from Alejandra, but also kicked out from the Ranch. The scene where JGC & Rawlins argue is heart breaking. While JGC has always been morally correct and honorable to Rawlins, Rawlins denies him of his loyalty and blames their imprisonment on JGC (which must feel pretty crappy).
ReplyDeleteDespite what I mentioned above, what impacted me the most was the reaction Rawlins had to Blevins execution. Although Rawlins teased him, mocked him, and made him feel insecure in every way possible, he still felt a small attachment to Blevins. He is devastated and traumatized at seeing Blevins go. In part, I believe that Rawlins also feels guilty for having mistreated Blevins. Rawlins is torn about his death, which leads to him leaving JGC. And although JGC endures a massive series of unfortunate events, he keeps fighting heroically for his desires and dreams.
I agree with my classmates in that the scene where Rawlins is reflecting and dealing with Blevins execution is a memorable scene. I think it was memorable because the reader understood the companionship that the boys generated while riding together. They were out fending for themselves, making there own futures, and that resulted in a strong relationship with each other. I think Rawlins is also upset because he simply cannot comprehend the blunt cruelty of the execution. He was not aware of such cold blooded action and if he were, he had certainly never experienced any first hand.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the most memorable moment of the book for me was a moment that described John Grady Cole's connection to the horses he so loved. While imprisoned Rawlins at one point blames Blevins great horse for their rather difficult situation, and John Grady simply responds saying that "It's not the horses fault." That quote really stuck with me because it would have been really easy simply to blame the horse for their predicament. Mr. Cole's response not only shows his level-headedness but more importantly his great love of horses. I thought it was a memorable moment in the novel and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Well i didn't read this book..i read mrs.Andersons i think? The collector by John Fowels.
ReplyDeleteBut the most memorable scene in the book for me was actually the ending. It surprised me a lot that after Clegg reads Mirandas diary he decides he wants to go and find more girls to "collect". Even though throughout the book he is portraid as a crazy psycho thats keeping a girl hostage; i think he still maintains some sort of sympathy from the reader because everything he's doing is because he loves her. Then at the end all that sympathy goes away when you realize he doesn't even care he actually just is crazy.
sorry i read the wrong book! wont happen again! hahaha :D
SMH
DeleteThe most memorable part of the novel for me was when Blevins was taken away and shot, and how Rawlins was affected by the killing. I, like Rawlins, was appalled that such a horrible act could be committed, even in a novel. Even after hearing of the terrible acts Blevins has committed, it is hard to believe that someone would just take him to a field and shoot him. This scene also played a major role in the end of the story. Blevins death deeply upset Rawlins, and was a major reason why he decided to split up with John Grady Cole. Although Rawlins had been mean to Blevins, and tried his best to put him down and make him believe he was a nuissance, Rawlins was still deeply upset by the killing. Like Hank said, it appears that, despite Rawlins harsh words and putdowns, he and Blevins were still able to develop a strong relationship riding into the unknown together.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I thought that the parts and scenes that my classmates have talked about where quite memorable. There were many scenes that amazed me, made me laugh and made me scream at the book. For instance when they get out of the prison and order a steak. I just thought that, that was hilarious because we as Americans (in my opinion) just love to have our steaks. lol The most memorable part of all for me was when John Grady was working with the horses and Cormac McCarthy narrates, "they did not smell like horses. They smelled like what they were, wild animals." I found that as such a powerful quote. Then how John Grady handles the horses, how he, "cupped his hand over the horse's eyes and stroked them and he did not stop talking to the horse at all, speaking in a low steady voice and telling it all that he intended to do and cupping the animal's eyes and stroking the terror out." It might not have been a significant scene to others, for example the scenes where John Grady is talking to Perez or the captain. But as I read this Cormac McCarthy put me there along the fence line with the other families and workers watching the Americans in amazement as they worked. It was like I was right there maybe a foot away watching.
ReplyDeleteOne last part that amazed me was when you saw the dramatic transition from the local workers. Transitioning from not being so welcoming to John Grady and Rawlins to the workers handing a plate of tortillas down to John Grady in a, "...manner like a ceremonial bowl."
Last thing: I don't know if anyone else thinks this but could the cigarettes be a symbol. Sorry if its obvious and I missed it, but could it be similar to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? Especially in the jail Cormac did say, "cigarettes were money". Every time John Grady and Rawlins meet someone new they smoke, and such. Any thoughts?
While a number of these scenes, I must admit, carried quite a bit of weight with me such as Blevins execution as Hank said, or the scene where Rawlins leaves to go home, the main scene that sticks in my mind is more toward the end. The scene where he is in court and he tells the judge about all that has happened to him. How he points out his scars, and tells of how he had to burn out the wounds with his pistol stays with me. His descriptions and way of phrasing his horrors made them come off as if they were nothing to him. The judges response to him was all so such a relief as it felt as if it were the only time he ever managed to catch a break. This scene brought, for me, both a sense of a bit of resolution as well as compounded the experiences John faced in a way that for the first time appeared as the life of one man. How he lost his love, his friends, everything he had. It sticks with me as a heart wrenching realization point in the book.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with the previous posts that Blevins execution was a powerful moment in the book because of how it impacted Rawlins greatly but did not seam to effect JGC. John Grady Cole was determined to reunite with Alejandra and let nothing stop him, including the loss of his companion Rawlins, stop him. The moment that impacted me the most was at the end of the novel when John Grady Cole is shot in the leg he does not slow down or let the wound affect him. Instead, he heated the barrel of his revolver in the coals of a fire and used the hot gun to cauterize the entry and exit wounds from the gunshot to his thigh. This was a powerful seen because it showed that not only did John Grady have the mental resilience shown in the aftermath of Blevins death and Rawlins departure, but he also had the physical resilience to cauterize his own wound after being shot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. H that the crossing of the Rio Grande was a very significant scene. John was lost in his own town and was searching for the perfect space.
ReplyDeleteI also really connected with Zach's scene. It showed the flaws and revealed the unrealistic fantasy of the Cowboy's dream. And thats what it is, a dream, John, Rawlins and Blevins decided what they wanted to be and became it, but they found it wasn't what they thought it would be. Despite how tough cowboys are supposed to be, everyone has their breaking point and Rawlins demonstrated his in that scene.
I just spent about twenty minutes typing an excellent blog entry. As I was typing the last sentence, my Internet connection went out and then when I tried to refresh the page, the page went blank and it lost my post. So, I now remember my policy from last year of always typing these things on word and then transferring them. I will try to retype what I wrote from what I remember.
ReplyDeleteI initially was going to write about the scene in which Blevins dies. I was getting sick of that mooch and was happy to see him get what was coming to him. I think having Blevins give John Grady his spare change out of his shoe was a nice sardonic twist. This pest comes along and causes John Grady and Rawlins an undue amount of trouble, then offers some small pittance in return. That’s dark humor. But, It appears that Tom has beat me to it, so I will pick another scene.
For me, the second most intriguing scene is the one in which John Grady “met his father in the lobby of the St Angelus and they walked up Chadborne Street to the Eagle Café and they sat in a booth at the back.” This scene truly is in contradiction to the rest of the novel. John Grady instructs his father to quit smoking and then spends the rest of the book chaining cigarettes. In this passage, John acts passive and respectful of his father’s wishes, far from the inmate-stabbing, leg-burning, Clint Eastwood type figure that we see in the rest of the novel. In a way this scene sets a reference point for the reader, and he can see that over time John Grady starts turning into his own father. John Grady leaves home for Mexico, just as his father left to gamble. John has a woman that will not be with him, just like his father. John starts smoking, just like his father, although he uses matches unlike his father who uses a Zippo. In a way, this deceptively inconspicuous passage reveals an underlying theme of the book, which is John Grady’s unintentional slippage into what he does not wish to become. At the beginning of the novel, his aspirations for life are not clear, and it is this aimlessness that allows John Grady Cole to take on his natural position of a nomad and an independent spirit. By the end of the novel, the reader can see that this transformation is complete. When John Grady is returning Rawlins’ horse, he has an opportunity to revert to a more controlled existence in his hometown and he rejects this for the unknown. In my opinion, this is the most important theme in the novel. -Stephen Armstrong
So yeah Hank kinda stole my thunder on this one in the sense that his memorable moment was also the one that most stuck out for me. It isn't a particularly huge moment so I didn't think anyone else would use it, but the scene Hank described in which John Grady makes so abundantly clear his passion and love for horses really resonated with me. Like Hank said, it would have been easy to blame the horses for everything (as people are often known to do when the going gets rough). However, he steadfastly refuses, in a wonderfully laconic and typically John Grady manner, simply stating that "It's not the horses fault."
ReplyDeleteRather than the climactic endings, the tense emotional moments, or the bloody battles or fights (although fight scenes can be wicked sick bro), I've always been drawn to to the smaller scenes in books that seek to define a character, and as such, have overarching implications for the entire book. John Grady Cole is a character somewhat shrouded in mystery at times. We never get a good sense of his appearance, and although he is 16, he very rarely speaks or acts like it. He is motivated by his longing and love for his romanticized version of the West; a love that is only rivaled by his passion for horses. What I'm trying to say is that I really really liked the character that Cormac McCarthy created in John Grady Cole. And for whatever reason, this brief and otherwise relatively forgettable scene stood out to me, and apparently to Hank as well, as an immensely revealing moment for Mr. Cole.
Also, on a different but not unrelated note, having to fill out one of those ridiculous captcha things each time I submit a post is going to drive me insaner by the end of the year. Just saying.
This might be an odd part of the book to choose as my "favorite" or a part of the book that resonated most with me, but I have to choose the funeral at the end of the book. The way in which McCarthy sets up the initial stages of the book is meant to metaphorically wake us up. I generally like that approach with authors because you find yourself immediately becoming analytical about a situation with any particular biases of characters and scenes. You would think that he was talking about Mr. Cole's life from the most remote view.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that his ties to that old ranch are now forever gone, (well not in reality, he will always remember the abuela and his grandfather). More importantly, it's very difficult for him to determine whether or not gone is a physical or emotional/mental state. He knew after his grandfather died that he wanted to make a significant effort to own the land/farm and develop it for himself, but as a result of his age and inexperience, everyone he encountered said no, it's not possible. Right then and there, Mr. Cole is beginning to push away from his roots. For that reason, he has a somewhat dramatic struggle to come into his own personality and become an owner of a large property. But is accomplishing that goal and making that statement worth losing everyone he knows and loves?
I also think McCarthy realized that in giving that character such an ambitious goal, he knew that certain characters would have to die in order to let that happen.
Also, it made me think (not from an All the Pretty Horses context) that we view aging and responsibility and great transitions in life as the result of loss. Why should loss of a loved one be one of the factors that dictates when those moments in your life occur? So, in short, I felt that I have to seize the moment, because time and experiences are so transient, especially for John Grady Cole.
I agree with Tom and others who felt that Blevins' death was the most memorable and important part of the book because it showed Rawlins' true feelings of compassion for Blevins. It hurt him enough to force him to return home. I think that this death opened Rawlins' eyes to the reality that cowboy life is harsh and dangerous with innocents being killed. This moment changed the main character's entire view on the life he wished to live which is a key turning point in the book.
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