Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses" exposes the futility of clinging to "phantom" dreams that eventually "disappear" due to the inevitable progression of society. McCarthy points out that protagonist John Grady Cole is unable to live the idealistic life of an American cowboy in the "Wild West" and finds himself adrift and disillusioned, wondering "what's happening to the country" and mourning a bygone era . “All the Pretty Horses” further illustrates his helplessness in the “adult” world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'? Get the original essay McCarthy's description of John Grady's thoughts in his grandfather's office demonstrates society's relentless modernization and despair of the yearning for a bygone American era, embodied for John Grady Cole in the life of his grandfather. The use of polysyndeton in McCarthy's description of how John Grady "entered his grandfather's study, walked over to the desk, lit the lamp, and sat down" provides momentum at the beginning of the passage . “September 13,” the date of his grandfather’s death, brings this momentum to an abrupt end, underscoring its importance to John Grady as the end of his chance to run the family ranch as the quintessential American cowboy. John Grady Cole's longing for the past is revealed through McCarthy's concise descriptions of his current surroundings, such as "a glass paperweight" and "an ashtray", which ultimately have no consequences for him in relation to his dream of the “Wild West”. . The repetition of "old" demonstrates the appeal of the office for John Grady, as it is itself a relic of the past and allows him to imagine himself living his dream and literally "crossing his boots on the desk" at the office. imitation of his grandfather. Using lyrical phrases only in the depiction of the natural landscape, McCarthy emphasizes John Grady's almost spiritual connection to the "star meadow" that he sees "moving away to the north", as inevitably out of reach as the realization of his dream. The impossibility for John Grady to achieve the life he aspires to is also conveyed by the "telegraph poles" which "stretch across the constellations running from east to west", illustrating the cruel intrusion of civilization into the landscape. Now marked by these “black crosses” of modern society, the landscape is incapable of forming the unexplored western frontier of John Grady's dream. McCarthy's use of symbolism in the "crosses" further suggests that the dream itself is dead. “Sounding eleven” and the “little brass calendar,” representing the passage of time, emphasize the uselessness of John Grady’s dream of the “Wild West.” Interrupting John Grady's contemplations in the dark room, his mother "turned on the wall switch," a simple action illustrating the inevitability of modernity encroaching on his dream of the past. Illustrating his desire not to face this harsh reality, John Grady "looked at her and looked out the window again" then symbolically "turned out the light" as soon as he left, an action parallel to his previous futile requests that his mother allowed. him to “manage the ranch,” despite the reality that he had “barely paid the expenses for twenty years.” When his mother asks him what he is doing, John Grady simply responds "settin", the brevity and calmness of the word emphasizing his physical immobility and his desire to remain stuck in the past rather than move forward. While McCarthy highlights the company's constant progression. , Johyn Grady's experiences in Mexico illustrate his ultimate vulnerability in the harsh adult world, making him even more incapable of realizing his dream. In.