Questions I Must Ask

Oh, All the Pretty Horses, how you discombobulate me.

1) I have to ask: Why the heck does Cormac McCarthy ignore elementary english rules and spurn quotation marks?

2) And how does it impact the flow of the story?

3) Why does John Grady want to keep the run down ranch even when selling it means more money?

4) And if it's so important to him, why doesn't he try harder instead of running away?

5) Pg 27 "If God wanted me to be born I'd be born." Does Rawlins and JG's conversation make you think about how things would have been different if your parents hadn't met, if they'd married other people, had other children? Would you still have been born?

6) How could JG just up and leave his family?

7) Could you abandon your own family?

8) What drives Rawlins to leave with JG?

9) When Rawlins sings on pg 37, do you think he's having doubts about leaving with JG?

10) Why did Blevins abandon his home?

11) What makes it okay for Blevins to join up with JG and Rawlins without knowing anything about them and vice versa?

12) Why is being able to shoot a gun impressive? Pg 48

13) Where are JG, Rawlins and Blevins headed?

14) Why doesn't McCarthy make the story more clear?

15) Is this to add to the story or did he just want to make it more frustrating? Thoughts?

16) Pg 76. Why does the man ask to buy Blevins?

17) Pg 91. "You think you can believe in a heaven if you dont believe in hell?" Can you?

18) Do you think JG and Rawlins are going to try to find Blevins?

19) "You reckon his name is Jimmy Blevins sure enough?" Or do you think he used a psuedonym?

20) Is religion an undercurrent in the story? (parallels to Jesus (JGC) and questions about heaven/hell/religion)

21) How is it going to affect the rest of the story?

Food for thought:

"You think God looks out for people? said Rawlins.

Yeah. I guess He does. You?

Yeah. I do. Way the world is. Somebody can wake up and sneeze somewhere in Arkansas or some damn place and before you're done there's wars and ruination and all hell. You dont know what's goin to happen. I'd say He's just about got to. I dont believe we'd make it a day otherwise." What's your favorite passage in the book so far?

You know, I think this book might be growing on me. Who knew?