The Red Pony Essay, Research Paper

Literary Analysis: The Red Pony The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, consists of four separate but intertwined narratives about a male child named Jody. These narratives show how Jody began as a selfish, immature immature kid, and became a lovingness, responsible immature adult male. Steinbeck used characters and events to learn Jody about life and decease. He besides used much imagination and prefiguration to put the temper for the narratives. In the first narrative, “ The Gift, ” Jody Tiflin was a typical ten-year-old male child who liked to kip every bit tardily as possible and haste through his early forenoon jobs before traveling to school. When he came place from school, he did his jobs easy and inefficiently. Billy Buck, the spread manus, convinced Carl Tiflin, Jody? s male parent, to purchase a pony for Jody. Billy thought this would assist Jody go more responsible. Carl & A ; Billy went to the town of Salinas one twenty-four hours and surprised Jody with the pony the following forenoon. Jody named his new ruddy pony Gabilan, after the mountains to the West about which he is so funny. Billy Buck taught Jody everything he knew about Equus caballuss and Jody was responsible for taking attention of Gabilan. He became more disciplined: He got up every forenoon by himself to feed Gabilan and he took more attention when he was making his other jobs. Billy Buck was right. Geting the pony helped Jody to larn duty. Jody ne’er left Gabilan outside when the conditions was bad. One twenty-four hours Billy Buck convinced Jody to go forth the pony out while he was at school. Billy promised that the conditions was traveling to be all right and that it was non traveling to rain ( pg 21 ) . Unfortunately, it did rain and Jody came place to happen his pony drenched. The pony developed a “ cold ” from being out in the rain, but Billy, a great Equus caballus physician, took attention of Gabilan. He showed Jody how to do the medical specialty for the pony, but the medical specialty didn? T aid. Billy even cut a hole in Gabilan? s trachea so that he could take a breath ( pg 31 ) . Jody stayed with Gabilan at dark. When he saw the dry, dead hair on Gabilan, he lost all hope for the pony? s recovery. During the dark, Gabilan, got out of the barn and Jody found him dead the following forenoon. One turkey vulture was sitting on Gabilan? s caput, black liquid dripping from its beak, and others were circling operating expense ( pg 35 ) . Jody grabbed the turkey vulture that was on Gabilan and beat its caput on the land. He kept crushing the bird until Billy and Carl found him, long after the bird was dead. Billy picked Jody up and carried him place. Jody was really angry and blamed Billy for the decease of Gabilan. Billy had promised Jody that it would non rain the twenty-four hours he left Gabilan out and when Gabilan became sick, Billy promised Jody that the pony would acquire better. Both of these promises were broken. Billy felt guilty and understood why Jody blamed him. Jody had learned a difficult lesson about decease and loss. The imagination of decease is used rather copiously in this first chapter and will go on throughout the novel. Jody has seen the rhythm of life and decease here and has been taught the hurting of loss. The circling turkey vultures, the black cypress tree where hogs were slaughtered, and the blood topographic point he saw one forenoon in his egg were all symbols of decease. Steinbeck besides used the conditions and clip to heighten the narrative. It began at dawn, typifying Jody? s journey towards manhood. It was early summer, the clip of growing for nature and for Jody. When Gabilan became badly, the conditions turned showery and blowy. “ The Great Mountains, ” the 2nd narrative, opened up on a hot summer twenty-four hours. Jody, being a normal kid, was rebellious and obstinate, traveling against his male parent? s will. Carl loved nature and did everything he could to protect it. Jody threw stones at sup? s nest and baited rattraps with stale cheese, waiting for his Canis familiariss to acquire their olfactory organs caught in the traps. He besides went up on a hill and killed a bird with his catapult and ripped it apart. He was ashamed of what he did and conceal the disemboweled bird in the shrubs. Gitano, an old paisano, came to the Tiflin? s spread, inquiring if he could populate the remainder of his life at that place because his old place was on their spread. Carl did non desire him to remain, but allowed him to remain the dark and for breakfast the following forenoon. Jody questioned Gitano about the mountains and Gitano said they were full of luster and impressiveness. This satisfied Jody because his male parent and Billy Buck ever told him that the mountains were full of danger. Gitano left before breakfast on Easter, Carl? s old Equus caballus. Carl compared Gitano to Easter by stating that they were both old and useless and should be put out of their wretchedness. Billy responded by stating that they should be able to populate the remainder of their lives in peace ( pp 45-46 ) . Jody understood this and began to turn in his apprehension of decease. Carl, on the other manus, did non desire to admit illness or decease. Steinbeck once more used imagination and symbolism throughout this chapter. The narrative began on a hot summer twenty-four hours, a clip of serious waterlessness and a clip of fighting. This is non merely symbolic of Jody? s fighting with heartache for the loss of his ruddy pony, but besides of the old paisano, thin and old and tired. Carl Tifflin wanted Jody to be really disciplined, but like most kids, he was rebellious. When Jody felt sad, disquieted, or ashamed, he went to the mossy green bath filled with spring H2O and washed hello

mself as if cleansing himself of a sin (pg 37). Jody found that in the morning, the mountains were pink, and he found peace in them. In the evening, however, they turned to a dark purple with many shadows, and they frightened him. In the third story, “The Promise,” Jody walked home from school, with an imaginary army behind him. He caught many “prisoners” in his lunch pail. When Jody arrived home, he was summoned to the barn. His father told him that since he had taken such good care of Gabilan, he would be allowed to take their mare, Nellie, to be bred at a neighbor?s farm. Jody agreed that he would work as hard as he could and be responsible for taking care of Nellie. He started doing his chores with more efficiency, he was more responsible, and he started to sway his shoulders with more importance as he walked (pg 56). Jody became very doubtful of Nellie bearing a colt and asked for Billy?s assurance over and over. Jody also asked about the birth of a colt. Billy told him that if the colt was turned around backwards, the mother and/or her baby could be torn apart (pg 62). This was foreshadowing what was to happen later in this chapter. Jody begged to be present for the delivery. After talking to Billy, Jody sat underneath the black cypress tree, the symbol of death, and imagined that Nellie would have a black stallion named Black Demon. When he found himself under the tree, he ran to the spring water and washed himself. Jody became weary from waiting, but Billy assured him that the colt would be safe and strong and that it would be a good colt. He did not make any promises to Jody, because of what had happened in the past. Late one evening in February, Billy told Jody that the colt was ready to be born. As they went into the barn, Billy sensed that something was wrong. He found that the colt was positioned wrong and tried to turn it around, but it was impossible. He decided to sacrifice the mare to save the colt. Jody watched as Billy killed Nellie, cut open her stomach, and pulled out the colt alive. Billy dropped the colt at Jody?s feet and said, “Here?s your colt.” (pp 72-73). Steinbeck showed in this scene that death is the inevitable outcome of birth, for everything that is born must eventually die. Jody felt guilty because he believed that he was responsible for Nellie?s death and Billy?s grief. He got his colt, but only through the sacrifice of others. This was a sign that Jody was maturing, that he was thinking about how others felt and not just about his own feelings. This chapter opened up in the early spring, a time of growth for Jody as well as nature. Steinbeck foreshadowed the death of Nellie by the “prisoners” Jody caught in his lunch pail. Jody captured toads, lizards, grasshoppers, a newt, and a snake, all ingredients that might be used by witches to make a curse. Nellie gave birth and died in February, a time of death and barrenness. The juxtaposition of the tub of spring water and the black cypress tree also pointed out that everything in life is destined to death. The final chapter, “The Leader of the People,” is the climax of The Red Pony. As Jody sat and watched a flock of pigeons in the black cypress tree, he threw a rock, making the whole flock of white birds rise from the tree (pg 74). This symbolized that even though there is death, the cypress tree, life, the white birds, goes on. Jody saw his father coming home with a letter announcing that Mrs. Tiflin?s father would be arriving shortly. As Jody rushed to greet Grandfather, Carl complained about the old man because he always told the same stories over and over. Grandfather told of his westward travels in a wagon train, fighting the Indians, and braving the wilderness. Jody, however, loved to listen to Grandfather?s stories. Carl jumped into the middle of one of the stories and told the old man that he needed to forget about the past. Grandfather thought that the younger generations were becoming soft, and forgetful about their founders. Mrs. Tiflin and Carl argued throughout this chapter because of Carl?s resentment and irritation towards Grandfather. Again, as with the paisano, Carl felt that Grandfather was old and useless. The next day, Jody and Grandfather were talking, and Jody, seeing Grandfather?s sadness, offered him a glass of lemonade. Mrs. Tiflin was surprised and proud to find Jody making the lemonade for her father and not even wanting some for himself (pg 92). Jody showed that he was maturing by giving up his activities to be with his grandfather, also proving that he had become less selfish and self-centered unlike his father. It was also important that Black Demon had determination and vigor, just as Jody had at the beginning of the book. He had become the symbol of the new generation. Jody, unlike his father, had no desire to leave the past behind him. He wanted to learn from the older generation in order to be prepared for life. He showed that the past and present could coexist. The four short stories in The Red Pony have the themes of life, death, rebirth, loss, learning, and growing in common. They show how a young boy grew through his experiences and matured from a selfish boy to a responsible young man. Steinbeck used foreshadowing, imagery, and time to convey the message to the reader: Death is inevitable, but life will keep going.