“He leaned his flail against the steps. ‘That’s to drive the mice out,’ he said. ‘I’ll bet they’re fat. I’ll bet they don’t know what’s going to happen to them today.’ ‘No, nor you either,’ Billy remarked philosophically, ‘nor me, nor anyone.”
This statement by Billy encompasses the theme of death and life in the four stories as Jody matures while he encounters these concepts. Billy alludes to the fact that in nature every being be it animals or humans live with uncertainty regarding their survival as death always lurks. As humans, we are no wiser than the animal that is just seeking to survive since we are also unaware of what is going to happen next. The inevitability of death as a concept explored throughout the stories shows the fragility of life but also its beauty. Billy asserts this in a philosophical manner to express this sentiment.
“As he went back towards the house, Jody knew one thing more sharply than he had ever known anything. He must never tell anyone about the rapier. It would be a dreadful thing to tell anyone about it, for it would destroy some fragile structure of truth. It was truth that might be shattered by division.”
This narration takes place after Jody talks to Gitano in secret and later the old man disappears into the mountains with what the dwellers mistook to be a gun. Jody aware of the truth which is Gitano was actually carrying a blade (rapier) rather than a gun decides to keep it to himself. This statement alludes to Jody’s development into maturity as he begins grasping complex concepts about life. In that, he considers the repercussions of destabilizing the structure of truth and hence chooses to keep this version of the truth hidden.
“No matter how good a man is, there's always some horse can pitch him.”
Billy who shares a special relationship with Jody akin to a father-son kinship gives him advice on hard life lessons. It is Billy’s advice to Jody while gambling on Jody's forthcoming first time in Gabilan's saddle. The concept of man’s relationship with nature is explored extensively in the narratives showing how nature can ignore human desires. Thus, this assertion refers to the fact that a man’s good deeds sometimes does not matter in the face of nature. It prepares Jody for the tragedies that follow in the subsequent stories such as the impending deaths of Gitano and the Grandfather.
“The bird looked much smaller dead than alive. Jody felt a little mean pain in his stomach, so he took out his pocketknife and cut off the bird's head. Then he disemboweled it, and took off its wings; and finally, he threw all the pieces into the brush. He didn't care about the bird, or its life, but he knew what older people would say if they had seen him kill it; he was ashamed because of their potential opinion.”
In the narratives, the author focuses on Jody’s gradual maturation as he encounters challenging experiences with each stage. At this juncture Jody is still immature, his morality is navigated by the opinions of the adults rather than an inner sense of responsibility. He is yet to understand the complex ideas, as death is still a just concept to a juvenile mind until they experience the harshness of death through losing a loved one. In this case, Jody would later lose his first horse thus beginning his journey of understanding the idea of life and death. Gradually building his discipline and sense of responsibility, he learns to have empathy and hence cope with death in a healthy manner.
