The Red Pony Story Cycle

There is a space between Jody and his father. In fact, it almost seems as if Jody is afraid of Carl. His father's curt and unforgiving domainner do alienate the young boy, as Jody explains, "His father, Carl Tiflin, insisted upon giving permission for anything that was done on the ranch, whether it was important or non" (Steinbeck 1727). Indeed, the relationship between Jody and Carl is so crucial to the account because it contrasts sharply with Jody's feelings for his grandfather, the central sign of "The Leader of the People" (Martin 425).

When the family receives vocalize that Mrs. Tiflin's father is coming for a visit, Carl is annoyed. He complains thusly: "'It's just that he talks," Carl said lamely. 'Just talks'" (Steinbeck 1728). Within the fib, the grandfather clearly represents the amour to the departed. He is an antiquated man whose best days are behind him, and thus can only repeat stories of his past glories. Carl, a pragmatic and serious man, cannot be bothered with notions of the past, or even the future for that matter, because he is too busy with the day-after-day operations of his farm. The grandfather is a more romantic figure, who is refer with the idea that America's best days have passed by. He wants to know those grand moments because they are all that is left (Mar

Steinbeck, John. "The Leader of the People." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. 1726-1736.

When telling his story about his wagon train days, Grandfather uses the term 'Westering' to identify the lifestyle. It represents more than just the experience of leading the wagon trains across the plains, fighting with Indians, or pushing on toward the west coast. Instead, "It was his dream, and its fulfilment was his life. When he got the coast it was all over. All he has been qualified to do since is tell the story" (Gilmore 82). Grandfather is regretful that not only his Westering experience is over, but that the freshly generation is benumbed in such adventures.

He tells Jody:

It is also interesting to bank note that Steinbeck "alocates value in the story's socially marginal characters -- a child, an old man, and a farmhand" (Gilmore 82). This is significant because it signifies the fact that Steinbeck believed such set were no longer part of society's mainstream culture. Indeed, the story asserts that such set and moral character are disappearing from America, as Jody reflects, "He thought of his Grandfather on a huge purity horse, marshaling the deal. Across his mind marched the great phantoms, and they marched off the earth and they were asleep(p)" (Steinbeck 1733). Indeed, despite the fact that Jody wishes to be the same kind of man that Grandfather was, that world no longer exists.

The grandfather figure clearly represents a sense of disillusion with the present introduce of affairs in America (Martin 426). Just after he is introduced, Jody asks him to join the mouse hunt. His grandfather reacts unfavorably: "'Mouse hunt, Jody?' Grandfather chuckled. 'Have the people of this generation come down to hunting mice? They aren't very strong, the new people, but I hardly thought mice would be mealy for them'" (Steinbeck 1730). F
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