The journey from childhood to maturity is driven primarily by the search for meaning. In All the Pretty Horses, protagonist John Grady Cole leaves home to find where he belongs in the world. Throughout the novel, John Grady chased the ideal vision of the ranch lifestyle instilled in him by his late grandfather, but was forced to reconcile his romantic dreams of the old west with a reality of violence and injustice that was anything but kind. with him. The sixteen-year-old left home in search of the answers he had always sought but had never managed to find at home, in his relationships with his estranged mother and his inadequate father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay After Grady's grandfather died and his mother sold the ranch, Grady was forced to reexamine his future. He even goes so far as to visit his mother to see her act in a play, but finds no answers: "He had the idea that there would be something in the story itself that would tell him how the world was or was becoming, but there was no was" (21). He may not get answers, but he knows the kind of life his mother leads in San Antonio isn't for him. He leaves home and finds solace in the familiar wilderness, embracing the rugged cowboy lifestyle that directly contrasts with the modern industrialism he is fleeing. Ultimately, Rawlins runs away from home with Grady for the sake of adventure and because there isn't much life for him in San Angelo. It becomes clear early on in the journey that rather than leaving out of desire for the freedom of the cowboy lifestyle, Rawlins sees his new lifestyle as a positive consequence of his decision to leave. It's a lifestyle that "he could get used to this life... It would take him absolutely no time" (35). He parts ways with Grady after finding the answers he wasn't looking for. During his time on the road, on the ranch, in prison, he realized that the path he was following wasn't leading him to the future he truly wanted. He spent much of the journey following Grady's lead even when they disagreed, but by the end he had matured through his trials and was able to define what he wanted. This change left Grady alone to search for all the answers to his questions, such as why Alejandra let him go, how to live with his guilt over another man's death, an explanation for the injustice of Blevins' death and the true owner of Blevins' horse. In finding these answers, Grady is faced with an open vision of the world that forces him to grow. Consequences are driven by one's choices and free will rather than by destiny guiding man's actions. Throughout the novel, John Grady, Rawlins, and Alfonsa offer their own perspectives on the nature of free will and destiny. Doubt and remorse over his choices lead Rawlins to wrestle with the idea of ​​whether fate or free will governs his future. He questions his motives for running away from home with his friend almost immediately: "well, let's say you're uncomfortable and don't know why. Would that mean you might be somewhere you weren't supposed to be and didn't know?" It?" His words appeal to a higher destiny, which is not being fulfilled, as the source of his discomfort (37). He finds no support in Grady, who firmly believes that people decide their own destiny. In contemplation of the afterlife, Rawlins asks Grady if a person can believe in heaven if that person doesn't believe in hell and Grady replies, "I guess you can believe whatever you want" (91)..