Katherine Ann Porter's short story "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" is a fascinating snapshot of two young people's journey through life and love during a time of great turmoil. Set during the onset of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Texas, the novella follows Miranda, a newspaper reporter for The New Mirage, and Adam, a soldier who is headed off to war. Throughout the piece, Porter develops a tender yet heartbreaking romance between the two characters amidst the frightening backdrop of a deadly pandemic.
The story opens with Miranda noticing that people in her small Texas town have started to wear masks as a preventative measure against the flu. But the masks only seem to increase people’s anxieties, as they are deeply fearful of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Miranda anxiously awaits news from Adam, who she has been exchanging letters with and is currently off fighting in the war. She receives no word from him, which only heightens her fears.
As the story progresses, the severity of the influenza pandemic intensifies. People in town become sick and die in ever-increasing numbers. Miranda is called to help nursing victims in a makeshift hospital and soon falls ill herself. Despite her condition worsening, she ever-so-faithfully keeps writing letters to Adam.
When the war ends, Adam is discharged from the Army and is thankfully safe from harm. He reaches the hospital in time to see Miranda before she passes away. The doctor is conflicted about telling Adam of Miranda’s death, yet ultimately admits to him that she has died.
Adam's grief over her death is mirrored in an epiphany that Miranda had near the end of her life. She tells him, "And I have realized that all this living I have done so far, and all the dying, too, are only little steps along one long road I have already and forever chosen. I want to ride a pale horse, and go my way through life and death together." Here, Porter uses the phrase “ride a pale horse” to represent a metaphorical journey to death, and the comfort of Adam and Miranda’s journey together, even into the afterlife.
Katherine Ann Porter's "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" is a haunting yet beautiful tale of two people whose lives are inextricably bound together, even in death. Through this masterful novella, Porter conveys a poignancy and emotional truth that remain relevant long after the human cost of the 1918 influenza pandemic has been forgotten. The story can resonant with readers to this day, exemplifying the heartache of lost love and inspiring genuine hope for those lucky enough to have found it in the first place.
