I found the most striking aspects of Dobie’s “The Mustangs” were his descriptions. They painted in my head a mirror image of what I had always imagined- “heads tossing high, nostrils dilated, the wild and free stood in arrested animation.” (847)
[1] Dobie also describes Mustangs as being curious and mischievous- “their playfulness rather than their fears seemed to be excited by our appearance.” (849)More importantly though, they reminded me of the missing elements in my life…
You see, Mustangs carry “a life and a spirit” (848) that I envy. They’re free, independent, and excitable- constantly eluding captors. I admire these qualities, because I’ve lost them all. When I was younger I used to be independent; now I’m constantly seeking affirmation from materialistic things that do not matter. I used to be excitable, but now disappointment and frustration dominate my moods. However, the worst thing is I’ve lost my spirit. I’m encountering a familiar tedium (some would call it reality) as an adult that restricts me to a bubble, and deprives me of the necessary freedom to simply explore my character and live. As Dobie says, “the process of breaking often broke the” spirit (847).
[2] In this photo “two cowboys are rounding up a Mustang.” It reminds me of Dobie’s description- “…trembling with fear before his captor, bruised from fals by restrictive rope, made submissive by choking, clogs, cuts and starvation, he had lost what made him so beautiful and free.” (846) Again, I am tempted to draw a parallel. Man has similar captors- things and ideas that are fishing for a chance to trap him.However, he also says, “only by blotting out the present can one now see those wild horses of the prairies.” (848) Perhaps what he means by this is, in order to achieve a Mustang’s freedom and spirit, we must disassociate ourselves with “reality/tedium” (what’s the best way to get an A? What career makes the most money? How can I get a letter of recommendation? What’s the best way to begin building my grad school transcript?), and remember back to simpler days. What brought us the most joy as children? What was our favorite activity?
[1] http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx
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