The Red Pony by John Steinbeck is a book filled with archetypes and lessons. They can help readers identify hidden truths in books and sometimes even end up teaching them lessons. John Steinbeck uses archetypes skillfully to parallel the everyday lives of people. The Red Pony is filled with complex archetypes and symbolic events which are experienced by Jody, the main character of the book. He is a ten year old boy living on a …showed first 75 words of 2754 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2754 total…into a more mature human being helping the reader understand that these chance occurrences are what recreate the patterns of life again and again, including real life. It is probable that John Steinbeck did not intentionally put so many archetypal patterns in his book but this fact makes it even more interesting. Possibly it was his collective unconscious, memories passed down from generation to generation through his ancestors, that aided him in creating this novel.