The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, is a short novel that revolves around a young boy named Jody Tiflin. The story centers around Jody's youth and the experiences that he faces which help him to mature into a young man. The story is set amidst the mountains of Salinas, California in a ranch that is isolated from the rest of the world.

Jody Tiflin is the main character and protagonist in the novel. Like all youth, he was curious and eager to know about life, but would isolate himself from others when something went wrong. Carl Tiflin is Jody's father, who strongly discouraged "weakness" or laziness. Since he was a practical man and a strict disciplinarian, Jody grew to be responsible and independent. However, Carl was not always there for Jody to answer his questions, and he never really took the time to understand him as much as...