Objectives

• Analyse how McCarthy uses the opening of Chapter I — the grandfather's wake and the ranch's impending sale — to establish John Grady Cole's identity as inseparable from land, horses, and a dying way of life.
• Explain how the introduction of Jimmy Blevins in Chapter II functions as a structural and moral catalyst, tracing the consequences of his recklessness through Chapters III and IV.
• Close-read McCarthy's prose style — including paratactic syntax, biblical cadence, and the suppression of punctuation — on at least one named passage, and explain the effect on tone and meaning.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that tracks John Grady Cole's moral development across all four chapters, using embedded quotation and precise terminology.
• Construct a sustained argument, supported by at least four textual references, about how All the Pretty Horses presents the tension between idealism and a world governed by power, fate, or indifference.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Ranch, the Wake, and the Self: Identity and Loss in Chapter I

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   You’re sixteen, and the place you’ve always called home is being sold off, with no way for you to intervene. It’s not just the walls and the roof that are being taken away; it’s the memories of laughter, the warmth of family gatherings, and the sense of safety that can’t be bought back. What you truly lose is the familiarity that shaped your childhood, the irreplaceable moments tied to every corner of that house.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Chapter I where John Grady visits the horses at night before leaving the ranch — beginning with 'He rode out on the prairie and he rode to the top of a low rise' — focusing on how McCarthy's use of paratactic syntax ('and… and… and…') builds detail without establishing a hierarchy, making both the land and the boy feel simultaneously ancient and fleeting. Illustrate to students how the lack of a main evaluative verb reflects John Grady's struggle to assess or judge his grief. Write one modeled sentence of analysis on the board, identifying the technique, the quotation, and its effect.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing an analytical paragraph of 150–200 words in response to the question: "How does McCarthy use the ranch setting in Chapter I to shape John Grady Cole's identity?" They should include at least two quotations from Chapter I and identify at least one language technique by its proper name. To conclude their paragraph, students must link the setting to a broader theme regarding loss or belonging. The paragraphs will be collected and assessed according to the rubric.

   Exit ticket

   On a sticky note or half-sheet, answer in two or three sentences: What is the single most important thing McCarthy tells us about John Grady Cole in Chapter I, and which word or phrase from the text makes you most certain of that?

2. Lesson 2: The Road South and the Arrival of Blevins: Journey and Moral Risk in Chapter II

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   Revisit the paragraph in Chapter II where John Grady and Rawlins first encounter Blevins — 'They came upon him in the road' — and jot down three observations: one regarding Blevins' appearance, one concerning his manner of speaking, and one about John Grady's reaction. You have five minutes, and please ensure that everything you write is directly based on the text in front of you.

   Teacher input

   Model how to read the scene in Chapter II where Blevins retrieves his horse from the Mexican village — emphasizing the moment the shooting starts — as a pivotal moment: illustrate to students how McCarthy refrains from moral commentary, relying solely on action verbs in the simple past ('he rode… he fired… he turned'), which allows the reader, like John Grady, to provide the ethical significance. Show on the board how to discuss narrative voice as a technique, highlighting the difference between what the narrator conveys and what remains unspoken.

   Independent task

   Students should compose a structured comparison of 200–250 words addressing the question: 'How does McCarthy depict Jimmy Blevins as both a victim and a threat in Chapter II?' They are required to reference at least two specific moments from Chapter II—their initial encounter on the road and the scene where they retrieve the horse. Each student must include at least one quotation from both moments and finish with a sentence that forecasts what Blevins's characterization suggests for the remainder of the novel. The work will be submitted for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this stem without using the word 'shows': 'McCarthy's decision to introduce Blevins at this point in the narrative is significant because…'

3. Lesson 3: Alfonsa Speaks: Power, the Past, and Prose Style in Chapter III

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Read the first paragraph of Chapter III out loud to yourself. After that, jot down: (a) the first word of the chapter, (b) the first sentence that mentions a human being, and (c) one word from the paragraph that surprises you. Be prepared to explain your surprise in one sentence.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the extended chess-game conversation between Dueña Alfonsa and John Grady in Chapter III — specifically the passage beginning "I was seventeen and I believed in whatever it was I believed in" — to illustrate how McCarthy uses Alfonsa's long, uninterrupted speech to present a counter-narrative to John Grady's romanticism. The absence of speech marks flattens the hierarchy between the speaker and the narrator, making Alfonsa's perspective feel like an accepted truth rather than just an opinion. Write an analytical sentence on the board that addresses both form (the lack of quotation marks) and content (Alfonsa's fatalism).

   Independent task

   Students will write a 150–200 word analytical paragraph addressing the question: "How does McCarthy use Dueña Alfonsa's voice in Chapter III to challenge John Grady Cole's idealism?" They should include direct quotes from Alfonsa's speech during the chess scene, identify at least one characteristic of McCarthy's prose style (such as the absence of speech marks, sentence length, or register), and explain how this characteristic influences the reader's perception of Alfonsa's argument. Paragraphs will be submitted and returned with marginal comments prior to Lesson 4.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain what Alfonsa means when she implies that love and power cannot coexist, and identify the word or phrase from her speech in Chapter III that most clearly carries that meaning.

4. Lesson 4: Execution and Survival: Violence, Justice, and Fate in Chapters III–IV

   60 min · ch. 3, 4

   Do now

   Without looking at the text, jot down everything you remember about the execution of Blevins in Chapter III — who is there, what is discussed, and what actions John Grady takes. After that, refer to the passage and make corrections or add details using a different colour. You have five minutes.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the prison-fight passage in Chapter IV — the scene where John Grady faces an attack from a knife-wielding assassin. Focus on how McCarthy unexpectedly shifts to the present tense within a past-tense narrative, creating a sense of inescapable immediacy. Show students how to consider tense as a structural choice rather than just a grammatical detail, and how the precise choreography of the fight (with each blow identified and each wound specified) resists glorifying violence, even as it captures it in striking detail. Provide an analytical sentence that links this prose technique to the novel's broader themes of fate.

   Independent task

   Students should write between 200 and 250 words on the following prompt: "Compare how McCarthy depicts Blevins's execution in Chapter III and John Grady's prison fight in Chapter IV as two distinct forms of violence. What does each scene reveal about power and survival?" In their responses, students must include quotes from both scenes, identify at least one technique used in each quote, and conclude with a sentence that ties both scenes to the novel's themes of fate or justice. Submissions will be collected and returned before Lesson 5.

   Exit ticket

   Write two sentences answering: In what sense is John Grady Cole a survivor at the end of Chapter IV, and in what sense has he already lost something that cannot be recovered? Ground each sentence in a specific moment from Chapters III or IV.

5. Lesson 5: Riding West into Nothing: Synthesising Idealism, Loss, and the Landscape across All Four Chapters

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4

   Do now

   Revisit the last paragraph of Chapter IV, where John Grady heads west into an unspecified landscape. Write three sentences: one reflecting on his losses, one highlighting what he still holds onto, and one regarding what McCarthy deliberately leaves unsaid. Feel free to reference your annotated notes.

   Teacher input

   Model how to create an essay introduction for the question below by writing one directly on the board. Start by drafting a thesis sentence that highlights McCarthy's main tension (idealism versus a world driven by power and indifference), outlines the structural arc across all four chapters, and points out the two or three techniques the essay will explore. Demonstrate to students that a strong introduction goes beyond just restating the question; it asserts an argument that can be supported or challenged through evidence.

   Independent task

   Students will compose a detailed analytical essay of 500–600 words in response to the following question: 'How does McCarthy depict the clash between John Grady Cole's idealism and a world dominated by power and indifference in All the Pretty Horses?' The essay must: (1) begin with a thesis that identifies a specific tension or argument; (2) analyze at least four quotations from at least three different chapters (Chapters I, II, III, and/or IV), ensuring each quotation is embedded in a sentence followed by an analysis of language or structure; (3) discuss at least two named characters besides John Grady — Alfonsa, Blevins, the Captain, or Alejandra — as representations of the forces opposing his idealism; (4) include at least one paragraph focused on McCarthy's prose style (such as parataxis, biblical rhythm, suppression of punctuation, or tense choice); and (5) conclude with a sentence that takes a stance on whether the novel ultimately endorses, laments, or merely observes John Grady's idealism. Essays will be written in class under timed conditions and submitted at the bell.

   Exit ticket

   Before you hand in your essay, write one sentence on the back of your final page that answers this: Looking back at your thesis, does the evidence you have assembled in the essay actually prove it — and if not, what would you change about the thesis to make it honest to the text you have read?

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can identify and articulate the single most important piece of characterisation McCarthy establishes in Chapter I, anchored to a specific word or phrase.
• Lesson 2 independent paragraph: checks whether students can write about Blevins as a structurally ambiguous figure, using evidence from two distinct scenes in Chapter II.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students have understood Alfonsa's fatalistic argument and can locate its linguistic carrier in the chess-scene dialogue of Chapter III.
• Lesson 4 independent paragraph: checks whether students can compare two scenes across chapters, name techniques in each, and connect both to the novel's thematic concerns with power and fate.
• Lesson 5 thesis sentence (modelled live): checks whether students can formulate an argument that is specific to this novel and provable by its evidence, before they commit it to a full essay.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that interprets a literary text and requires defence with evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotation, diction, and syntax.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and narrative distance in a literary text.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the sequence and juxtaposition of scenes or passages contribute to the meaning of a literary text.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of contrasting characters and how their interaction develops theme.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response, using textual references including quotations to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO5 (A-level coursework strand) — Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure and context.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including the ways in which texts relate to each other and to literary traditions.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: demonstrate detailed knowledge of the text and develop a convincing interpretation supported by well-chosen evidence.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse how the author's stylistic choices — including syntax, narrative voice, and structure — shape meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: construct a sustained, coherent argument with a clear line of reasoning across the whole response.