The traditions of the upper classes are an issue in All the Pretty Horses—not because of the class divide between Alejandra and John exactly, but because of the expectations and social customs that come with high status. In the novel, people at the bottom of the social ladder seem to have the most freedom to act on their desires, while those at the top seem to have the least. To John Grady and the narrator, Mexican society seems to have a firm divide between those who are rich (and bound by custom) and those who are not.
Questions About Tradition and Customs
- In what ways is tradition restrictive? In what ways does it empower characters in the novel?
- Where is religious tradition referenced in the novel? How do these references treat those traditions?
- In what ways are traditions lost in the novel? In what ways do they survive?
Chew on This
Tradition is bad news in the novel: characters are weighed down by it, even though over time it seems that traditions either change or simply disappear along with the people they affect.
Different traditions impact characters depending on their social positions: for those like John Grady, the loss of ranch traditions in the face of modernization means he no longer fits into society, whereas tradition is what gives someone like Don Héctor the sort of pedigree and inheritance to make his mark on the world.