Reality and Escape in "All the Pretty Horses"

Throughout the novel "All the Pretty Horses", John Grady Cole is trying to escape the dismal reality of his life and the world around him. This is evident even at the very beginning of the novel as he decides to leave Texas as his whole life is falling down around him, and continues to be a main theme throughout the book. A vivid series of dreams that John Grady has also provides an escape from the hardships he endures through his travels, usually by placing him in his romantic view of the west and the life he wishes to live. John Grady Cole is constantly trying to escape his reality, b…