The Harmony In McCarthy’s All The Pretty Horses

Cormac McCarthy(1933-)is a world-famous American writer who is known as "one of the greatest contemporary American writers",and his works possess abundant themes and unique language style.His western novel All the Pretty Horses(1992)is the first volume of the Border Trilogy,which contains the elements of heroic legend and natural spectacle,it presents a heroic western cowboy image who constantly pursues the harmonious ethical relationships.In China,increasing numbers of scholars have been attracted by the novel,but the study is far inadequate.In the West,critics have analyzed the theme of history and identity,but there is little noticed the harmony in this novel.The theme of harmony is traditional and eternal,and it also has a new meaning in modern society.The ethical form of human begins after the Second World War is defined as the "cultural ethics" by ethical literary criticism,and its core ideal is internal and external harmony.Through exploring the conflict and harmony of ethical relationships in the text,we can analyze the tremendous changes of society and history.All the Pretty Horses describes the internal relationship between John Grady and self,the external relationship between Grady and others as well as nature.And how these ethical relationships change from conflict to harmony.This thesis analyzes the ethical relationships between Grady and self,others and nature in All the Pretty Horses,which changed from conflict to harmony.The first chapter analyzes the harmony between Grady and self.Under the impact of rational spirit of science and technology,the cowboy spirit of freedom and harmony has been eroded in western America.After experiencing the inner struggle between self-actualization and reality,the ethical conflict between good and evil,Grady finally finds his inner peace in the modern spiritual wasteland.The second chapter discusses the harmony between Grady and others,the process of urbanization and industrialization in western America has led to the alienation of interpersonal relationships.John Grady chooses to leave Texas for lack of family warmth,however,he can’t escape the materialization of interpersonal relationships in Mexico.But his belief in harmonious human relation is rekindled by his experience on his way back.The third chapter studies the harmony between Grady and nature.By revealing the phoniness of Grady’s pastoral ideal,McCarthy exposes people’s depredation and domestication of the wilderness.By awakening Grady’s eco-responsibility and indicating the intrinsic value of wilderness,McCarthy provides the way to reconstruct the harmonious relationship between human and nature.Through the analysis of John Grady’s pursuit of harmonious ethical relationships in All the Pretty Horses,it is obvious that the ethical relationship is constantly changing and has undergone an alternation from imbalance to harmony.McCarthy represents these three ethical relationships to explore the ethical situation of the traditional western America,which is under the attack of modern industrial civilization.And he also reveals the living predicament of western cowboys as well as their keen pursuit.This novel not only demonstrates the resistance of marginalized western cowboy to modernization,but also embodies McCarthy’s harmonious ethics and humanistic concern.