The Red Pony by John Steinbeck is a minimalist style novella that tells the story of times in the life of a Salinas ranch boy named Jody Tiflin. Its major theme and purpose is to show how Jody grows up and changes from his childish ways, to become a responsible young man. The authors use of symbols and theme give the story a deeper meaning. In each of the four sections of the book, Jody seems to grow as a person, little by little, until finally he seems to learn that not everything will always go how he wishes it to. Over the course of the novella, Jody Tiflin changes from being a childish little boy into a responsible young man. However, he had to learn the hard way, with many difficult lessons learned throughout the book. The death of his
