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Helen
Lily’s second husband, and the father of Rosemary and Little Jim. Jim is a big, blue-eyed man who first meets Lily after seeing her fall from the mustang Red Devil during a race. Raised by a famous Mormon with fifty-two children, Jim learned to fend for himself from an early age and is an excellent marksman and horse wrangler. His first wife died in the influenza outbreak, and he joined the cavalry during World War I. Despite being twenty years old than Lily, she admires his strength, calm and observant demeanor, and the fact that he owns a dependable business. Jim readily agrees to marry Lily when she asks, asserting that he has wanted to do so ever since he first saw her fall from Red Devil and get back on. He owns the only garage in Red Lake and teaches Lily to drive, something she grows to love. The two maintain an equal partnership throughout their marriage, working together to run their garage in Ash Fork and later their ranch. When the family moves to Phoenix, Jim gets a desk job and grows restless; Lily knows that he misses the satisfaction of manual labor and being able to work outdoors. Jim is a true ranching expert who is deeply in sync with the natural world. Though less willing than Lily to partake in schemes like selling bootleg liquor or digging through trash for recyclables, he is always a steady, supportive presence in his wife’s life. When he and Lily settle in Horse Mesa, he is happy to get a job driving a gravel truck, and upon retirement becomes the town’s unofficial mayor.
Jim Smith Quotes in Half Broke Horses
The Half Broke Horses quotes below are all either spoken by Jim Smith or refer to Jim Smith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
I discovered that I loved cars even more than I loved horses. Cars didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn’t leave big piles of manure all over the place. Cars were faster than horses, and they didn't run off or kick down fences. They also didn't buck, bite, or rear, and they didn't need to be broke and trained, or caught and saddled up every time you needed to go somewhere. They didn't have a mind of their own. Cars obeyed you.
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Chapter 9
Quotes
As Rosemary climbed into the car, Rex patted her behind like he owned it, then got in beside her. They were both still laughing as Rex gunned the motor the way he always did.
Jim put his arm around me and we watched them take off up the street, heading out into open country like a couple of half-broke horses.
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Jim Smith Quotes in Half Broke Horses
The Half Broke Horses quotes below are all either spoken by Jim Smith or refer to Jim Smith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
I discovered that I loved cars even more than I loved horses. Cars didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn’t leave big piles of manure all over the place. Cars were faster than horses, and they didn't run off or kick down fences. They also didn't buck, bite, or rear, and they didn't need to be broke and trained, or caught and saddled up every time you needed to go somewhere. They didn't have a mind of their own. Cars obeyed you.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
As Rosemary climbed into the car, Rex patted her behind like he owned it, then got in beside her. They were both still laughing as Rex gunned the motor the way he always did.
Jim put his arm around me and we watched them take off up the street, heading out into open country like a couple of half-broke horses.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
