Dreams vs. Reality
Throughout “Horses of the Night,” Chris, a young man growing up in rural Canada during the Great Depression, finds refuge in his own imagined worlds that are at odds with the difficult realities of his life. Chris moves from his family’s struggling farm in Shallow Creek to stay with his Grandmother and Grandfather Connor in Manawaka to attend high school. Grandfather Connor is a harsh and critical man whose biting comments affect everyone in…
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Madness and Society
In the beginning of “Horses of the Night” Chris is an optimistic young man with big dreams and goals for his life. However, he is growing up during The Great Depression and the beginnings of World War II, so the realities and hardships of the society he lives in prevent him from realizing these goals at every turn. Chris’s dreams start out both admirable and reasonable. He wants to go to college and become a…
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Loss of Innocence
“Horses of the Night” tracks the young narrator, Vanessa’s, growth from young child to young adult, and her gradual loss of innocence along the way. Vanessa’s loss of innocence is largely precipitated by her relationship with her cousin Chris. Chris first arrives in Manawaka when he is 15 and Vanessa is 6. She worries that she won’t be able to keep up with him due to their age difference and that he’ll belittle…
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