During its early publication history, The Red Pony appeared in various venues. After submission by the MCINTOSH & OTIS LITERARY AGENCY, Stein-
beck’s representatives in New York, the North
American Review, one of the most prestigious
monthly literary magazines during the 1930s, agreed to publish two stories from the sequential collection of four that make up The Red Pony, “The Gift” and “The Great Mountains” in November and December 1933. Four years later, Covici and Freide issued a limited and expensive edition of 699 copies, which contained those two stories and “The Promise.” Finally, The Red Pony reappeared in 1938 as part of THELONGVALLEY, a collection of short
stories. The Long Valley included the short story “The Leader of the People,” considered to be the fourth part of the The Red Pony, and VIKINGPRESS
republished the novella in 1945.
For Steinbeck, the original North American
Review publication marked an important turning
point in his career. Though he was unimpressed by the cachet of the magazine, and was concerned by its limited circulation, the acceptance of the two “pony” stories, as he called them, and three later stories, “THE RAID,” “THE MURDER,” and “THE
WHITEQUAIL” gave a needed boost to his writer’s
ego. The journal paid well for the time, and Stein- beck needed the money rather desperately. He and his wife, CAROLHENNINGSTEINBECK BROWN, had
been living on the largesse of his parents, and had actually moved in with them when his mother, OLIVEHAMILTONSTEINBECK, suffered the effects of
an ultimately fatal stroke.
The Red Pony is a relatively short novel that fol-
lows the experiences of a young boy, Jody Tiflin, as he grows up on the family ranch in the Salinas Val- ley. Written in words of almost poetic imagery, it has become a classic “coming of age” tale about the process of maturing, and developing those attrib- utes necessary to be a fully realized human being. At the beginning of the novelette, Jody is a typical young boy—somewhat selfish, lazy, and irresponsi- ble. He resents his father’s stern demeanor, and resists, in surreptitious ways, the strict rules of his home life. The gift of the red pony begins to change his life, as he takes charge of another living crea- ture. He also learns about the fallibility of trusted acquaintances when Billy Buck’s expertise fails to save the life of the colt. He gains knowledge about the value of extending himself beyond the narrow parameters of his personal concerns, and, indeed, by the end of the fourth section, Jody’s empathy for others has gone beyond that of his father, who doesn’t want to be bothered by the reminiscences of his father-in-law, just as he didn’t want to be bothered by his son’s problems earlier. In this sense, the book is also about the interaction among gener- ations, and the importance of remembering the past while confronting the future. Each story can be read separately, though read as a whole, the reader encounters various recurring themes in Steinbeck’s work—the PHALANX theory of group
behavior, an early example of nonteleological phi- losophy, and the “westering” impulse that is so much a part of the American experience. Each story, as well, centers on a different approach to death, as witnessed and experienced by the young
boy, Jody. On a personal level for the author, the theme of death allowed Steinbeck to lessen the burden of his helplessness as he watched his mother die. Long after the publication of The Red
Pony, Steinbeck noted that the story was written
during a time of “desolation in my family,” and that the writing was an “attempt . . . to set down this loss and acceptance and growth.”
EARLY CRITICISM
Because The Red Pony first appeared as a limited edi- tion in 1937 costing $10, an exorbitant price at the time, many commentators focused on the decision of the publisher or author to issue the slim volume of three stories to such a small audience and for such a ludicrous cost. For example, Time magazine’s critic expressed bafflement at the “famine price” of the
small book, and called it particularly “remarkable in view of Steinbeck’s proletarian themes.” Writing for the Saturday Review, Christopher Morley noted the “deluxe limitation,” but also recommended the book for its “beauty and pain” and “illuminated sim- plicity.” Ralph Thompson, in a column for the New
York Times, also advised his readers who could
“afford a handsome sum” to make the purchase, and indicated they would be “well rewarded” by the “lit- tle masterpiece.” Eda Lou Walton, a critic for the
Nation detested the book. She excoriated Stein-
beck’s work for its “forced and obvious symbolism,” lack of “authenticity,” and reliance on “Freudian psychology.”
With the addition of “The Leader of the People” a year later in The Long Valley, critics uniformly praised The Red Pony as the best of the collection of
The Red Pony 177
stories. The New York Herald Tribune’s reviewer, William Soskin, called the novella “magic,” prais- ing Steinbeck for his “thoroughly realistic grasp of life in the child’s perspective,” and added that “it is hard to recall a work so impressive.” LEWIS GAN- NETT, also writing for the Herald Tribune, indicated
“the Jody stories are almost miraculously good.” From the New York World Telegram, Harry Hansen told his readers, “Don’t miss ‘The Red Pony,’” while Red Thompson of the New York Times particularly liked Steinbeck’s characterization of Jody, writing that “the combination of toughness and tenderness make [Jody] a memorable figure.” One of the New
Yorker’s critics, Clifton Fadiman, called The Red Pony a “masterpiece” and a “heart-breakingly true
picture of childhood.”
CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES
The Red Pony remains a rich source of literary
analysis. Like much of his work, Steinbeck intended the book to be read on many levels. Moreover, since the four stories were written over a five-year period, from 1932 to 1938, they demon- strate Steinbeck’s increasing aptitude with his pro- fession. As John Timmerman has noted, The Red
Pony shows the author’s growing skill in translating
his own personal and unremarkable experiences into universal fables through the “alchemy of art.”
Peter Lisca, noting Steinbeck’s childhood famil- iarity with The Golden Bough, a book which included a chapter on puberty rites, suggests that one of the central themes of The Red Pony is Jody’s passage through a lengthy initiation ceremony that takes him from the innocence of childhood to the mysteries of adulthood. Though Jody’s experiences do not involve the elaborate rituals of primitive cultures, nevertheless he must fulfill specific tasks in order to pass to the next level until he is finally rewarded with recognition of his manhood. The deaths of the pony Gabilan and of the mare Nellie represent blood sacrifices that often accompany tribal initiation rites, and introduce Jody to the “existence of death and evil in the world view which is his inheritance as an adult.”
Continuing this examination of the spiritual component to the novella, Richard F. Peterson compares the old paisano, Gitano, to a priest, and
Jody to a novitiate in an ancient search for mean- ing beyond the day-to-day routine of life. For the young boy the Great Mountains offer a “sense of wonder and mystery,” and Jody seeks answers from Gitano about the deep secrets of the mountains where he had journeyed as a boy. Just as one can- not have a direct knowledge of God, Gitano cannot express a direct knowledge of the mountains. Jody begins to understand that certain mysteries cannot be articulated, only experienced.
Richard Astro finds The Red Pony a “valuable tool to probe” the complexities of Steinbeck’s non- teleological viewpoint. According to Astro, Stein- beck deliberate avoids characterizing any of the central figures of the book as “bad” or “good.” To do so would require a retreat to teleological think- ing by which all actions are judged by ultimate goals or rigid principles. Astro states that Steinbeck objectively “lives into” the lives of the Tiflins, and “move(s) beyond causes and reasons to the ‘whole picture.’”
SYNOPSIS
“The Gift”
The title refers to an unexpected present from Jody’s father, Carl Tiflin, an undemonstrative and rigid disciplinarian whose numerous regulations chafe at Jody’s boyish desire for freedom from restraint. Without fanfare, Carl acquires a red colt for his son at a sheriff’s auction, with the stipula- tion that the pony will be sold if Jody fails to care for the animal. In this, Carl wishes to please his son, but also wants to teach self-discipline to the slightly unruly boy, a more lasting and valuable bequest in Carl’s mind. Finally, the gift refers to the unswerving patience of Billy Buck, the Tiflin hired hand, who shows Jody how to provide for and train the young horse, often over the objections of Carl Tiflin, who eventually begins to resent Jody’s obses- sion with the colt and the closeness of his son to Billy Buck.
Jody names the pony Gabilan after the moun- tains edging the Salinas Valley to the east, because they are “the grandest and prettiest thing he knew.” Immediately, the boy shows a new maturity, groom- ing the animal at first light before he goes to school and becoming more conscientious about his routine
chores on the Tiflin ranch. He acquires a certain respect among his schoolmates as a horse owner, and although the pony is still too young to ride, Jody excitedly describes to his friends his plans to ride the horse bareback through the brush, and to help his father in tending the Tiflin stock after Gabilan is trained. Billy Buck, “a fine hand with horses,” assists Jody in every aspect of his interaction with the young animal, from soothing communication with the frightened colt to training with a halter, saddle, and bridle, and to keeping the pony’s coat shiny, and his hooves trimmed. Carl Tiflin pragmatically objects to Gabilan’s schooling, suggesting the ani- mal was becoming “a trick pony,” without “dignity” or a “character of his own,” but Jody revels in his horse’s rambunctious nature and aptitude for learn- ing. In this, the pony is Jody’s alter ego; both of them are young and spirited, with previously unac- knowledged talents.
Jody fervently anticipates his first ride on Gabi- lan’s back, scheduled for Thanksgiving, but at the same time, has nightmares about the ride, worried that he will be thrown and be too afraid to remount his horse, suffering shame; or that he will experi- ence grievous injury if thrown. He also worries about the pony’s health as the winter comes early to the Salinas Valley, bringing constant miserable rain and chilly weather. He keeps the pony in the barn, with only short periods in the corral after returning from school, to prevent the young horse from catching cold. Eventually, a bright and sunny day dawns, and Jody, with some hesitation, lets the colt out before he leaves for school, asking Billy Buck to return the animal to the barn if the weather changes. The weather changes; Billy Buck forgets to return Gabilan to the shelter of the barn; and Jody’s worst fears come true. The pony devel- ops severe distemper despite Billy’s assurances that a “little rain never hurt anything.”
Recognizing his mistake, Billy does everything he can to rectify it, spending his every free moment nursing the sick horse. At the same time, Carl mocks Jody’s concern, pointing out that a “horse isn’t any kind of lap-dog,” and telling feeble jokes to cheer his son up, without any success. In increas- ingly graphic passages, Steinbeck traces the pony’s deterioration and the efforts of Billy and Jody to
keep the horse alive. Eventually Billy performs a tracheotomy on the colt with Jody’s assistance, and Jody sleeps in the barn to monitor Gabilan’s illness. Carl does not understand his son’s distress, and tries to distract him with the offer of an excursion “over the hill.” Billy responds angrily to the insensi- tivity of the remark and challenges his boss’s authority by saying, “It’s his pony, ain’t it?”
Jody comes to terms with the inevitability of Gabilan’s death, but chooses to continue sleeping next to the dying animal. He awakes to find the pony gone, having escaped from the barn during a windstorm that blew the doors open. Tracing the hoof marks through the grass, he finds Gabilan in the final throes of death, being attacked by a flock of buzzards. Rushing down a small hillside, he attacks the lead buzzard and beats it to death with a rock. Carl and Billy find him still pummeling the bird to a pulp. Carl asks Jody if he realizes the buz- zard didn’t cause the pony’s death, and Billy retorts to Carl as he lifts the blood-covered and exhausted boy to return home, “Course he knows it. . . . Can’t you see how he’d feel about it?” The disconnection between Carl and his son, and Billy Buck’s clear empathy for Jody’s mental anguish is abundantly obvious.
Billy has his own cross to bear. He has failed Jody, not only in his assurances to keep the pony out of the wet weather, but also in his inability to save the horse after Jody trusted him to cure the beloved pony. Jody must come to grips with the imperfection of adults. He also begins to recognize the miscommunication between his father and himself. Carl’s reaction to the training, illness, and subsequent death of Gabilan exposes a gap of understanding, and a different level of shortcom- ing. Jody possesses a nascent capacity to extend himself past the practical aspects of life, into the spiritual and empathetic connections among all liv- ing creatures—a gift beyond his father’s imagina- tion. Though he continues to respect his father and his father’s dictates, Jody no longer views Carl as omniscient.
“The Great Mountains”
Having experienced the cruelty of life, Jody has become cruel at the beginning of the next story in
the series. He casually destroys swallows’ nests in the barn; he tortures Double Mutt, the family dog, with baited rat traps; and kills a thrush with his slingshot out of boredom, meanness, and perhaps a continuing resentment of the predatory birds that attacked the dying Gabilan. Daydreaming, he imag- ines the “secret mysteries” of the Great Mountains to the west of the family ranch, and of exploring “the possibility of ancient cities” in their uncharted wilderness.
An old man approaches the entrance to the Tiflin ranch, disrupting Jody’s imaginary journey to the west, and solemnly declares to Jody, “I am Gitano, and I have come back.” Unsure of what to do, but excited about the visitor and the break in his routine, Jody seeks help from his mother. The old man follows Jody, and repeats his initial declaration to Mrs. Tiflin, adding he has returned to his child- hood home and “will stay here . . . until I die.” From the outset of this section of The Red Pony, Gitano has a mystical quality and presents a link between everyday life and the unknown. There is nothing revealed about his life other than his birth close to the Tiflin ranch, in a now disintegrated adobe farm- house on the outskirts of the Tiflin property. He stands presciently poised on the edge of death, calmly aware of his imminent mortality, and seeks only a last renewal of his earliest memories.
Carl Tiflin responds with his usual pragmatism. Gitano cannot stay, despite the old man’s offer to do odd jobs around the ranch without remunera- tion, except for room and board. In Carl’s estima- tion, an enfeebled old man is of no use on a working farm. He does permit Gitano to spend the night, and tasks Jody with showing the aged paisano to his temporary lodging in the bunkhouse. After a period of shy hesitation, Jody musters the courage to ask Gitano if he has ever gone into the Great Mountains to the west, and Gitano responds in the affirmative, but claims he remembers nothing of his boyhood journey other than a sense of quiet.
Shortly before supper, Jody takes Gitano to the corral to view the horses. An aged horse, spindly and hobbled by rheumatism, makes his way to the watering trough, and Jody explains this horse is named Easter, is 30 years old, and is the last relic of Carl’s youth. Gitano observes the horse is “No good
anymore,” and seizing on the remark Carl cruelly gibes, “Old things ought to be put out of their mis- ery,” even though Carl fondly remembers Easter’s youthful strength, grace, and agility, and his pleas- ure in the horse when the animal was young. At supper Carl continues his insistence that Gitano move on in the morning, despite the half-hearted protests of Billy Buck and Mrs. Tiflin against turn- ing out an old man who has traveled a long dis- tance to return home. Quietly observant, Jody “knew how mean his father felt.”
After dinner, Jody unobtrusively returns to the bunkhouse, and discovers the old man with an ancient sword carved intricately on its hilt and glit- tering in the lamplight. Overcome by curiosity and a sense of awe, Jody asks Gitano about the origin of the rapier. Gitano tells the young man that the sword is a family heirloom passed through genera- tions, its provenance and history lost. He then dis- misses Jody, indicating he wants to go to bed.
The next morning, Gitano and Easter have dis- appeared. A neighbor reports seeing an old man riding an unsaddled old horse along a rugged trail headed directly into the Great Mountains. The old man appeared to be carrying a shiny weapon. When asked by the neighbor if someone should go after the old man, Carl responds, “Hell, no. Just save my burying that old horse.” Jody looks to the Great Mountains and believes he can see a small speck climbing over the most distant ridge. He becomes “full of a nameless sorrow,” his soaring imagination accompanying Gitano and Easter on their final journey while he sadly rejects his father’s dismissal of “useless old things.”
“The Promise”
The title of the third of the four stories in The Red
Pony carries multiple meanings. It refers to the
promise Jody makes to his father to take on extra chores in order to acquire a pony of his own to replace the ill-fated Gabilan. It refers to the prom-