All the Pretty Horses: Study Questions

1. What is the significance of the final deer killing scene?

2. Reflect on the concept of ardent heartedness.

3. List and reflect upon several of the parallels at the beginning and end of the novel.

4. What does McCarthy’s use of Spanish add to his novel as a whole?

5. Explain how All the Pretty Horses fits into the genre of the hero’s journey, or how it does not.

6. Analyze the central theme of terrible beauty in the novel. Be sure to use specific examples.

7. Analyze McCarthy’s writing style. Describe it (several of the devices he uses) and explain the effect of his style on the novel. Choose a specific paragraph to illustrate and reflect upon.

8. How has John Grady changed by the end of the novel?

9. Analyze the structure of All the Pretty Horses.

10. Define the term foil. List a significant foil from the novel and explain it.

11. Define syntax and analyze how McCarthy effectively uses it in his writing.

12. Analyze the meaning and significance of the final paragraph of the novel.

13. What is Rawlins’ role in the novel?

14. Define paradox. Give an example of paradox from the novel. Reflect on it.