The “coming of age” theme is very prominent throughout this novel. “All the Pretty Horses” is a novel that provides an up close and personal journey about a teenage boy ready to make the transformation from boy to man. At the beginning, John Grady Cole was a naive and idealistic boy who believed that life was made up of beautiful dreams. However, the journey to Mexico was a rude awakening for John; who went through severe pain and suffering (physical and emotional) in order to realize the true realities of the world. Nevertheless, there is the saying- “when all is lost, all is left to gain.” For John, although he had gone through difficult times, the pain helped him grow stronger and mature more as an adult. By the end of the novel, John Cole was watching children play while he sat alone having not the tiniest desire to joy their fun. The things that seemed to make life enjoyable for kids was absolutely irrelevant to John’s life now.
I really appreciate this life lesson McCarthy has illustrated in the novel because any teenager like me can relate to the “coming of age” theme. As children grow up, we all depict life as sort of a fantasy similar from any Disney movie. However, we have to realize that life is not about the dreams and fantasies we have. I believe this novel taught me that you have to face life head on without ever letting your guard down. When things get rough, you have to stay mentally tough and fight for what you believe in. The novel has also taught me that hitting rock bottom is not the end of the world. Getting back up on your feet and turning failures into success is what really makes life meaningful.
