While Cormac McCarthys novel All the Pretty Horses did have a sad plot, there was a clear and deep spiritual development in the main character, John Grady Cole.

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Jon Diakanwa

AP English

All the Pretty Horses Ending

3/7/12

Often people complain about an ending to a story being too sad or too happy, neglecting to acknowledge the conclusion of the moral development of the main characters. While Cormac McCarthy's novel All the Pretty Horses did have a sad plot, there was a clear and deep spiritual development in the main character, John Grady Cole. The book follows John through many trials and tribulations and through it all he learns and develops into a wiser man. At the end of the novel, John is left in distress morally and needs the reassurance of a town Judge to conclude his spiritual journey in the story.

When John Grady Cole returns from Mexico his heart is at unrest and he believes he needs to reconcile by returning the horse of his friend Jimmy Blevins to its rightful owner. His journey led him to a judge who listens not only to his story but his feelings concerning the events of his trip to Mexico. John expresses how he feels guilty for bringing pain to the lives of Alejandra and Blevins and for the life