Throughout All the Pretty Horses, the role of family to the characters greatly influences the actions and beliefs of each character. Opinions of their families are of utmost importance, and keeping the traditions of their family is the goal of several characters throughout the novel. For John Grady Cole, his family tree serves as the model for his life. He desires a life like that of his grandfather or great-grandfather, while he has no passion for a modern life like that of his mother. “What did you bring to shoot? said Rawlins. / Just Grandad's old thumb-buster,” (McCarthy 25). Here, even hanging out with his best friend, John still clings to his grandfather’s influence, and his wish to be a gun-slinging cowboy. The opinion of his family
