Character Analysis: All The Pretty Horses

Alejandra and Alfonsa’s conflict with each other about her affair with John Grady not only drives the plot of All the Pretty Horses but also displays key characteristics and further develops the characters. When John Grady receives the opportunity to live and work on a ranch in Mexico, he soon falls in love with the rancher's daughter, Alejandra. She lives with her father Don Hector and her great aunt, Alfonsa, who is very connected with the Mexican culture and wishes the same for Alejandra. When it is discovered that John Grady and Alejandra have been seeing each other in secrecy, Alfonsa strongly disapproves mainly because of the role and respect women must uphold in their culture. She saw Alejandra being with John Grady as disobeying both herself and their own culture. This extremely drives the plot of the story because directly after the discovery, John Grady is taken away from the ranch, away from Alejandra, and sent to jail. This is one of the lowest points in his journey as he must witness his friends be victimized and even killed. As the protagonist of All the Pretty Horses, it is clear that the …show more content…
She herself fell in love with someone she could not have when she was younger. Rather than this past event making her sympathetic towards Alejandra and John Grady, she becomes even more strict and abiding to the rules. However, John Grady and his friends are ultimately freed from jail and the person behind it all is Alfonsa. While this act does show her character greatly and develop her into someone who is more forgiving and understanding, she does it under one condition – John and Alejandra must never see each other again. Once again this conflict furthers and intensifies the plot because the protagonist and the main love interest can no longer be together. Had Alejandra and Alfonsa not had this conflict, the story could have played out very differently in the