In fact, Alfonsa sees John Grady’s stubborn pursuit of his affair with Alejandra as proof that he couldn’t be trusted as head of the family hacienda. Alfonsa and other characters have learned to place other values, such as stability and even happiness, above love. They’ve impacted her own life directly, and can certainly make love impossible. In a sweeping monologue in Part 3, Alfonsa, Alejandra’s great-aunt, attempts to show John Grady just how powerful politics, economics, gender norms, and other social values can be. All the Pretty Horses has been called McCarthy’s most romantic novel, and that’s not just because part of it is a romance story: it’s because John Grady believes strongly in the power of love to conquer all, from economic interests to family concerns. While John Grady’s romantic notions apply most powerfully to his ideal of the American West, they also apply to other values he holds dear for much of the novel.
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