Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

Actions speak louder than words in All the Pretty Horses, where nearly all the principal characters speak in short, clipped, declarative sentences, if they do so at all. The novel values upon experience, first-hand perception, and decisiveness. There's little room for contemplation, and frequently mental states are revealed only through their reflection in someone else's speech or movement (see the "Narrator Point of View" section).

Speech and Dialogue

As stated under "Actions," the principal characters aren't talkers, but their manners of speech and favorite subjects tell a whole 'nother story. The only characters who speak much—primarily Alfonsa, Pérez, and Don Héctor—are of a notably higher social class, and their intentions toward the main characters are typically obstructive, patronizing, or deceitful. Basically, in this novel, talking is bad news.

Social Status

Social class is in many ways the broad gulf that separates John from Alejandra. Although Alfonsa states that she is not necessarily averse to John's low status, Alejandra's high status comes with equally high expectations for her social and sexual conduct. When Don Héctor finds out about her affair with John, he nearly goes to kill him, and she later says he stopped loving her at that point. As Alfonsa puts it, in Mexican high society, a man may regain lost honor, but a woman cannot regain hers (1960).