Although the negative themes of death, loss of family and love relationships, and a change in the land are critical in All the Pretty Horses, some positive themes do hold their own. The first of these positive themes is friendship. The bond between Rawlins and John Grady extends beyond their similar problems with their families; they are complements to each. John Grady is the more skilled, honorable, and idealistic of the two — and probably the brightest. But Rawlins gives him perfect dialogue, not only in their discussions of life and death, but in their undertakings. Rawlins is the realist, the survivor, who is always slightly cynical. He tries to moderate John Grady's excesses, and even if he does not succeed, they always consult each other when solving a problem. John Grady and Rawlins have been successful in their journey and survived and reached the place they were searching for. McCarthy says, "The vaqueros knew them by the way they sat their horses and they called them caballero." This is significant, because "caballero" is the highest designation for a cowboy or rider. "Caballero" has connotations of hero, just like the American best use of "cowboy." And the word derives from gentleman, which adds to the distinction in Spanish culture. A vaquero is also a highly skilled horseman or cowboy, but not quite as highly regarded, yet superior to a trainer of horses. In the United States, "cowboy" often has a higher designation than "wrangler" or "horse handler," but now sometimes it has a derogatory meaning. Not so with caballero and vaquero. So, by making this long trip and by how they sit their horses, the Mexican vaqueros have given high praise to John Grady and Rawlins by calling them "caballero."
Above all else, All the Pretty Horses is an adventure story. It is this journey, started in Chapter I, that helps both of the young men to mature. John Grady begins the story as the 16-year-old boy who arrives at the ranch dressed in a black suit, trying to be grown up for his grandfather's funeral. When he views the body, he says, "That was not sleeping," as though he were a child who has been told that death is a sleep and who must grow up and face what death really is.
