The post-World War II boom that shapes today's world has no place in Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. The postwar optimism and suburban complacency common to other American works of this period do not feature in McCarthy's novel, populated by characters like Blevins whose "dad never came home from the war" ( 64) and John Grady's father who looked "over the country with his sunken eyes, as if the outside world had been altered or made suspicious by what he had seen of it elsewhere" (23), presumably during the war. Instead of the modern urban environment, these characters seek solace in a less complicated world, inspired by an older cowboy philosophy. This philosophy relies on wilderness rather than artifice and the natural landscape rather than civilization. McCarthy's relentless contrast between the appeal of wilderness and the dangers of civilization merits a closer examination of wilderness and its associated values. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The novel opens immediately after the death of John Grady's grandfather. Grady's grandfather's authenticity and authority derived from his stewardship of the wild world of the ranch. The reader's first impression of the original 1866 ranch was that the grandfather had dug it out of the earth, "a one-room hovel filled with sticks and wattle" (6). By exercising his dominion over the ranch lands, the grandfather achieved unity with the wild world. The death of the grandfather marks the loss of this wild world and moves the novel forward. Grady's brief forays into the civilized world prove unsatisfactory. Here, contemporary society is illustrated by his mother's law office and theatrical world. The lawyer's tools prove useless in winning back the ranch. His mother's world is so artificial that Grady can't even find her registered in hotels under her own name. Grady's inability to communicate with his mother is highlighted when "the clerk turned away and checked the entries. He shook his head. No, he said. No Cole" (22) . Disappointed, Grady is forced to seek out the wild world of Mexico. Immediately after these unsatisfactory encounters, the most idyllic part of the novel begins. Grady, accompanied by Rawlins, immerses himself in the world of trail running to Mexico. Rawlins and Grady leave the complex world behind and “as the sun set they could hear trucks on a highway in the distance” (32). After this separation, the dialogue between the two becomes laconic and relies on humorous understatement. Stunning descriptions of the natural world replace complicated dialogue. In one of the few moments not overcome by the feeling of impending doom, McCarthy tells us that Grady and Rawlins "left the river and followed the dry valley westward. The country was rolling and grassy and the day was cool in the sun. (34). Such momentary optimism is only possible in the natural world, far from civilization. When Blevins enters the story, this dreamlike interlude ends abruptly. Blevins was damaged by the world, emotionally scared by his stepfather. He too seeks to free himself in the wild world. However, despite his many talents – horseman, sniper, survivor – Blevins' failure and ultimate death are caused by his inability to deal with the natural world. His separation from the natural world is emphasized during the storm when Grady asks him "Why can't you be there?" » and Blevins answers "Because of the lightning" (67). Wecould never imagine Grady's grandfather allowing such fears to get the better of him. This fear of the natural world has serious short- and long-term consequences for Blevins. In addition to the loss of his horse, he loses all ability to care for himself when the floods wash away his clothes and weapon. McCarthy highlights his inability to deal with the natural world as he "sat with his bare legs stretched out in front of him, but they looked so white and exposed lying on the ground that he looked ashamed and he tried to brush them off." fold under him” (74). Despite his bluster and superficial comfort in dealing with the natural world, Blevins' lack of authenticity immediately catches up with him. not because of Grady's kindness, he could have been sold to the Mexicans or traded for wax. Once freed from Blevins, Grady and Rawlins enter the world of Hacienda de Nuestra Seora de la Puresma Concepcin, "an eleven thousand hectare ranch located along the edge of the Bolsn de Cuatro Cienagas in the state of Coahuila." (97). Their arrival at the Hacienda marks a return to both the natural world and the world of artifice. Comparisons between Grady's grandfather and Don Hector Rocha y Villareal are inevitable. Both men's power stems from their authority over their land. Both are rooted in the history of their country. Grady quickly gains Don Hector's respect when he and Rawlins break down a small herd of three-year-old colts in as many days. This exercise of domination emphasizes that a man's value derives from his conquest of nature. The tension of the battle between Grady and the horses is palpable and urgent. McCarthy tells us that before the colt could get up, John Grady had crouched on his neck and pulled his head up and to the side and was holding the horse by the muzzle with the long bony head pressed against his chest and the warm gentle breath gushed from the dark wells of his nostrils onto his face and neck like news from another world. They didn't smell like horses. They felt like they were, wild animals. He held the horse's face against his chest and he could feel along his crotch the blood pumping through the arteries and he could feel the fear and he put his hand over the horse's eyes and stroked them and he 'didn't stop talking to the horse at all this, speaking in a low, steady voice and saying whatever he intended to do, removing the animal's eyes and stroking the terror (103-104 ). This exercise in domination over the wild world earned him an impressive promotion to the rank of breeder. Thanks to his ability to master wild nature, Grady appears momentarily master of his world. This moment of mastery is short-lived as it brings Grady closer to the world of artifice in the form of Alejandra and Alfonsa. Alejandra's strangeness is evident as she rides Englishmen, wearing "jodhpurs and a blue twill hacking jacket" (94). This stylized convention is foreign to Grady; although his love for her is unquestionable, this extraneous device warns the reader that trouble will surely follow. Alfonsa's complex machinations trigger the subsequent incarceration of Rawlins and Grady. Once in prison, the boys are overwhelmed. Their cowboy philosophy and mastery of the natural world have little use in prison and they are only saved by being "paid" (209) by Alfonsa. Released from prison, Rawlins and Grady eventually return to Texas. McCarthy's description of the natural world seems disjointed: "the dead moon hung in the west and the long flat shapes of the night clouds passed before it like a phantom fleet" (298). The wild world of the ranch has disappeared. Abuela's death severs Grady's last connection to this world. Rawlins.