IRA #2 The Red Pony

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck


Character List:


Jody-Where we left off, Jody was very sad about finding his horse dead on the ground.


Carl Tiflin- He is still seen as the father that barely talks to his son and starts getting meaner when talking to the Hispanic.


Mrs. Tiflin- She is finally starting to get a little backbone and tells her husband off.


Billy Buck- He is the same, but he really doesn't do anything in this chapter.


Gitano- (new character) he is the elderly Hispanic man that drops by unexpectedly at the Tiflin's home.


Theme:  


Carl Tiflin's rudeness and negativism After reading a couple chapters, I still see that Jody's father is just the meanest person to walk the Earth. I don't know what his problems is. He's has such a negative attitude especially when he is talking about how he wants to shoot his horse because he thinks that it is going to die anyway. He is so mean to Gitano even when he says that he would like to live here and work until he dies.


Motif:


Jody's obsession with the Gabilan Mountains- Jody showing by the name that he gave to his horse in the last chapter is really interested in these mountains. He has asked his father about the mountains and he says that he thinks that there is an ocean and that there are more mountain ranges. The protagonist talks to Billy Buck about life on the other side like villages, but he doesn't think so. Jody asks Gitano about the mountains and he doesn't remember. Then he finds out that Gitano left for the mountains which makes Jody extra mad.


Summary: II The Great Mountains


The story leaves off when Jody found out his horse was dead. The next day, he watches the birds. Then as an impulse he grabs the bird, and kills it by cutting off it's head and disemboweling the poor creature. The protagonist wonders about the Gabilan mountains and what is the other side. He has heard many opinions about what was on the other side of the mountains from his father and Billy Buck.  Later, he encounters an old Hispanic man who says that his name is Gitano and that he has come back. Jody runs inside the house to tell his mom and she tells the man that he may stay here for the night, but Carl is not okay with that. Gitano explains that he was born here and that he wants to work and spend his last days at his place of birth. Jody shows Gitano where the barn is and they look at Carl's old horse Easter. Carl makes comments on how Easter was so young back then and that now he should be shot and put out his misery. The main character finds out that Gitano has been to the mountains, but Gitano doesn't remember anything. The next day, Jody goes into the barn and finds Gitano and Easter gone. A neighbor tells them that a man and a horse were heading toward the mountains. Jody feels upset because the anticipation is killing him about what is really on the other side of the mountain.


Journal Friday Dec 9, 2011


My theme is that  Carl Tiflin's continued meanness in the chapter. Carl Tiflin has been a huge pain in the butt . He is rude and he has such a negative attitude. I'm surprised Billy Buck can put up with his boss. I would also like to add that he has a bit of  stupidity also because he is a business man that will not let another man work even though he wants to and even for a small amount. I can see that he and his son still don't have that relationship that fathers and sons usually have. This is very common for families who have workaholic dads. Of course back then, they referred to the man as the one "bringing home the bacon'" and the woman staying home taking care of the children and the chores. I noticed in the story that Mrs. Tiflin finally got her backbone told her husband off when he was being mean and selfish. She showed him who truly wears the pants in the family and they go back their duties. I'm starting to get that this is definitely before the Equal Rights Movement. However, I still can't figure out which era this is.

The motif is that Jody's anticipation of knowing more about the Gabilan Mountains. The Gabilan Mountains are located in San Benito County, California. It is 3,455 feet above sea level. Evidence shows that the mountains are real and that it is located by the ocean. So Mr. Tiflin's suspicion was correct. Now we still don't know if there is life on the other side. Billy Buck of course said that there isn't enough resources, but couldn't there have been ancient villages and people living there if there was a body of water?


Recommendation


I am starting to really get into this book. Jody really believes that there is something special on the other side of that mountain and I hope to figure that out. After thinking about it, I figured out that my guess about the time era was wrong. I think that it is before World War II if you think of the date it was written. I will figure it out by continuing to read and looking at context clues.