Fate brings together strange pairs in All the Pretty Horses, like Blevins with Rawlins and John Grady, as well as John and the Cuchillero. These meetings are fateful, in that they produce serious consequences, but they also tend to be pretty random. Like in the Dueña Alfonsa's allegory about the coinmaker, there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to why certain things happen, and people with bad luck aren't given any sympathy or special treatment—even from Alfonsa, who herself had a fair share of bad luck. Is John doomed to wander forever, exiled from societies he can't understand or change? Mayhaps.
Questions About Fate and Free Will
- What's your take on Alfonsa's allegory of the coinmaker—is it a good way to describe the fates of the characters in the novel? Why or why not?
- Why does John Grady keep ignoring Rawlins' bad premonitions and warnings about Blevins?
- Was it inevitable that John Grady and Alejandra could never be together? Is that because of "fate," or something else?
Chew on This
Alfonsa's bad attitude best illustrates the lack of freedom that the characters in All the Pretty Horses have: she is trapped by her status, despite her wealth and high standing.
Alfonsa believes that human freedom is limited, but she has far more freedom than any other character in the novel. What's she complaining about?