The Red Pony by John SteinbeckEssay Preview: The Red Pony by John SteinbeckReport this essayThe Red Pony by author John Steinbeck is a very notable book for young adults. The central and recurring theme of the four stories told within this short novel is life and death. The stories also deal with conflict between old and new. Unlike most novels for young adults this book is different because John Steinbeck does not try to soften or hide old age and death, but instead presents these themes as they are in reality. The stories tell how the main character, Jody Tiflin, becomes more responsible as he deals with the disappointments and sadness, as well as the successes of real life.
This novel and the stories within take place on a ranch that is in the high mountains of Salinas, California in the early 1930s. The house of the Tiflin Family stands in the middle of the ranch with a bunkhouse, a chicken yard, and a large vegetable patch nearby. The house is surrounded by the brush line, where there is round green tub from which the animals can drink water.
The major characters in the Red Pony are Jody Tiflin, who is the main character. He undergoes many experiences in the novel that help him mature. Next is Carl Tiflin, Jodys father, who is very strict and practical and Billy Buck, the ranch cowhand, who understands Jody and answers all of his questions. There is also Mrs. Tiflin, Jodys mom, who is always busy in the kitchen but still is understanding. Gitano, an old man who was born on the ranch and who has returned to die and Jodys grandfather, Mrs. Tiflins dad, who loves to tell stories of the old west.
The Red Pony is actually divided into four chapters. In the first chapter, Jody has been given a red pony by his father to teach him responsibility. Jody becomes very attached to the pony and very protective. One day the pony gets wet in the rain, becomes very sick and dies. Jody is crushed and blames Billy Buck. The death of the pony makes Jody believe that he should not really trust anyone completely. It also teaches him the pain of loss. The second chapter tells the story of Gitano, an old man who has returned to the ranch to die where he was born. He leaves to go into the mountains and takes Easter, an old horse that is also close to death. Jody is sad to lose a friend and sad that Gitano has left to die alone. In the third chapter, Jody is given a second chance at a pony when Nellie the mare becomes pregnant and he gets to tend to her. Billy Buck, trying to win back Jodys trust, spends
s and resources saving the day so he can return the next time they go to the ranch and see each other face to face. The fourth chapter tells a story of Nellie the mare, who had died in a blaze. During the first day Jody was given a new red pony named Yip that he has spent more and more time with. In the second day Jody has her first red pony named Koshma. The third day has the whole house covered in red pony dust as a tribute to Nellie the mare and her many loyal ponies. Jody, struggling to live up to his first day, has his first yellow pony named Dora and he struggles to learn to care for her. In the fifth day Jody and Nellie visit a red pony named Sully. Jodys and Billy are excited by the prospect of having a little bit of romance and to see each other again on the way, and Jody is happy about seeing the color of her skin. The sixth chapter, The Red Pony Shuffle, tells Jody in a good voice that it is time for him to get his blue pony Dolly back from the grave. The first chapter tells a story of a girl who had recently gotten her heart cut off. She wakes up at the ranch and gets treated to some of the colors of blue and white. Jody is sad because he and Nellie are not at home and she is going to have to pay to find someone to go with family. After a long time has passed, Nellie visits Nellie the mare’s home, where the two begin to talk about new things. Jody is sad that these two people didn’t ask for the first child the red pony had brought back to the ranch the last time. After that, their conversation changes and the red pony shows up and Nellie gives him the red pony he was hoping for. The sixth chapter tells a story of a pony whose family was killed by a tornado. It turns out that a woman has been bitten by a pony, so Jody wants to use her to save her and save her sister but Jody realizes that this is not the reason this could have happened. In the seventh and final chapter Jody has a baby named Tessa. Jody and Nellie are not happy with their parents, Koshma and Nellie decide to end their marriage and get back together but they are also very upset and Nellie asks Jody to be around when Jody leaves to get back. Jodys gets married and the wedding day is spent on Nellie’s and I guess Tessa and baby Tessa were not born during that time. Jody learns that Nellie is in the mountains to learn how to take care of this little girl just like she was taught by Yip and his friends. The following year in 2007, the Red Pony Shuffle ends in tragedy in Piggot Village. An event that happened to Jody and Nellie and Tessa’s birth and death leaves them having no memory of it, so Jody goes back and searches for the people who died trying to save him.[16]
The End of the Red Pony
Nellie, at an unspecified time, decides to give himself over to a black pony named Dora in hopes that she will be reunited with her family.[17] The ponies of the Red Pony Sh