The title of Cormac McCarthy's novel, All the Pretty Horses, reflects the significance and variety of roles the horses play in this coming-of-age story, as they relate to John Grady. The horse, which was the social foundation of Western American culture until the mid-20th century, is described as an economic and practical resource for boys. However, McCarthy also describes the abstract qualities of horses using idyllic and passionate diction, describing them as animals of a highly advanced spiritual nature, similar in some ways to humans. John Grady has an intimate relationship with all horses and understands the world of horses extraordinarily well. During his journey he learns that the world of men is very different from that of horses and is forced to rethink the relationship between man and horse. John discovers that his preconceived notions about men and human society are false; he discovers that they do not live in a romantic world as he had supposed. Therefore, the title chosen by McCarthy is ironic and symbolizes the change that John experiences. McCarthy uses the title to represent John's initial perspective on the world, which is refuted through John's later experiences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay John's life, like all of Western American society during the time period of the story, revolved around horses, and until he runs away, he knows more about horses than he does about men. These creatures represent strength, wild fervor and, above all, freedom of spirit. The veneration that the vaqueros have for horses is evident in the stories that Luis tells the boys. “The old man only said that it was useless to talk about there being no horses in the world because God would not allow such a thing” (111). This quote demonstrates the feelings of vaqueros: they appreciate horses so much that they consider them almost divine. It also reinforces John's romantic idea that horses are highly spiritual beings. Like vaqueros, boys revere horses, and these animals play an important role in their lives. The boys use horses in many ways in the novel: as companions, as a means of transportation or escape, and as a judge of a stranger's character, to name a few. John even dreams of horses, for "his thoughts were of horses... still wild on the mesa who had never seen a man on foot and who knew nothing of him or his life, yet in whose souls he would come to reside forever" (118). The diction here referring to "wild" horses, "souls" is idealistic and almost poetic. Furthermore, the fact that John dreams of horses in this way and that he wants to "reside forever" in their souls shows that he holds them very high, almost like mystical mentors. Throughout the novel, McCarthy uses romantic and emotional language to describe horses and their connection to humans. He describes these animals as noble beings with wild spirits using venerable diction to describe them. With vivid imagery, McCarthy paints a touching picture of horses. "The painted ponies and riders of that lost nation came down from the north with their faces painted in chalk and their long hair braided and each armed for the war that was their life...When the wind was north you could hear them, the horses and the breath of horses and the hooves of horses shod in rawhide" (5). This passage shows the passion and fervor that McCarthy attributes to horses. The atmosphere created by words like "painted ponies" and "horses' breath" is passionate and emotionally charged. The author also describes the raw energy and life that flows through the horses: “John Grady…held the horse…with his longbony head pressed against his chest and his hot, sweet breath pouring from the dark wells. of his nostrils on his face and neck like news from another world" (103). These metaphors such as "his obscurinaric pits" and "news from another world" create a strong resemblance to mysterious animals with a nature alien to humans . The horse's "sweet, warm breath... pouring forth" shows the life and energy that fills the horses. This mysterious energy is also evident later, when McCarthy writes, "He rode the last five horses... the horses danced, turned in the light, their red eyes flashed... they moved with an air of great elegance and decorum" (107). "Red eyes flashing" and dancing horses are very mysterious but at the same time surprising. The descriptive details are very cinematic and each of these scenes could easily be made into a film. These extremely detailed depictions are so extravagant as to be almost unrealistic, but create the desired effect of making the horses seem mystical and fanciful. These are the romantic creatures that John sees, the "beautiful horses" of the title. John Grady's bond with horses is as mystical as the horses themselves, as he is somehow able to communicate with them. all horses on a deeper level than any other character in the story. This is evident on the hacienda in the scene where John and Rawlins break in the new horses. John "put his hand over the horse's eyes and stroked them and did not stop talking to the horse at all, speaking in a low, steady voice and telling him everything he intended to do and cupping the animal's eyes and driving away the terror" ( 103). John's ability to "frighten off" horses is reminiscent of a parent calming a frightened child; obviously he must have some innate bond with these animals if he is able to do so. Indeed, McCarthy explicitly states that such a connection exists between John Grady and horses. He writes: "The boy who rode lightly in front of him sat on a horse not only as if he had been born what he was, but as if he had been begotten by malice or misfortune in some strange land where horses would never have existed anyway" (23). This passage shows that John's relationship with horses extends into the metaphysical realm, a view that is reinforced throughout the novel as new information about John Grady and horses is revealed. As Luis says, “the horse shares a common soul…if a person understood the soul of the horse then they would understand all the horses that have ever existed” (111). It seems like McCarthy is implying that John Grady has this ability to understand the soul of the horse, and that's why his relationship with horses is so unique. John's reliance on his knowledge of horses as a guide into the world of men ultimately proves to him that the two species are very different. When John begins his journey, he knows relatively little about the inner workings of human society, but he has superficially discovered that men and horses are similar. As McCarthy writes, "What he loved in horses, he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that made them work. All his reverence, all his affection, and all the inclinations of his life were for ardent hearts and they would always be this way and never be otherwise" (5). John knows that horses have a "burning heart" and believes that men must be the same. He thinks that his journey will be romantic and passionate, like the horses he loves, and will strengthen his worldview, but he will soon learn the opposite. Before something unfortunate happens to him, Giovanni learns from Luis that "there was no communion between men as between horses and the idea that men can be. understood is probably an illusion" (111)..