True Grit

True Grit was an interesting read for me. I normally don’t go for the Western genre when choosing a book to read or a movie to watch, but after reading this novel and watching the 2010 version of the film, I found myself wrapped up in the story rooting for Mattie to get the revenge for her father, and for her and Rooster to remain friends in the end, even though that part didn’t quite happen. The 2010 version of the movie directed by the Coen brothers was closely related to the original novel more than the 1969 version directed by Henry Hathaway, especially in the way they depicted Mattie. However, both films along with the novel accurately stayed true to the whole idea of American mythology, as well as the myth behind the Western hero. In the Western genre, there are about six myths surrounding it, and each has some form of similarity with this novel.

American Adam Myth: This myth describes the ideal male, or someone who is physically fit, intelligent, experienced, wealthy, mainstream, and single. True Grit has at least two possible contenders for this role, Mattie or Rooster. Although Mattie is a female, she has just as much grit and gut as the guys, even more at times, and is beyond fearless, knowing exactly what she has to get done and at what price. She is also perhaps the wealthiest out of the group and has enough smarts to get her through the Wild West. Rooster, on the other hand, is more experienced and a little more physically fit despite his age, and is intelligent at being a Marshall. However, where these two fall off and where LeBoeuf comes in is the mainstream part of this myth. LeBoeuf is certainly full of himself and cares more about his appearance than much of anything else, yet, he is still somewhat of an outsider along with Mattie and Rooster.

The Edenic Myth: This myth focuses on the longing to find Eden, or the place of paradise. Practically all Western films are centered on romanticized Eden, such as with a Monument Valley, grassy plains, or mountainous backdrops. Even films that use harsh landscapes, such as Death Valley or so on play upon the love for nature. True Grit is no different and uses similar nature scenes and landscapes throughout the film and in the novel.

The Child Savior Myth: This myth is not common in all Westerns, probably due to the gun violence and harsh language; however, it’s still an important part of the overall Western myth. It describes the image of youth as innocent and incapable of dishonesty, ready to be taught important lessons and values. In this novel, there isn’t really a strong sense of a child savior. However, Mattie, being the youngest but not necessarily a child, could possibly fit this category. She is only fourteen years old, yet she is not afraid to go after the man who killed her father, only with a gun in her hand and the clothes on her back. Throughout the book, Rooster often refers to Mattie as his little sister, and he could possibly be seen as being the intelligent adult that could teach her the valuable lessons of life. In the end, though, Mattie holds her own and comes out as much more of a strong woman than a child.

The Myth of Male Camaraderie: This myth states that the American Adam prefers the company of other men, and that men are happier, more fulfilled, and more male in the presence of other men rather than women. True Grit, both the in the films and the novel, show a lot of camaraderie between groups, the first being with Mattie, Rooster, and LeBoeuf. Although it starts off with Mattie and Rooster going after Chaney on their own, and then LeBoeuf trying to get Mattie out of the way, they all end up coming together and helping each other out in order to capture Chaney, and take down any bandits that get in their way. There is also a comradeship between Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of bandits, who all help each other to rob certain places. One could also say that Chaney and Frank had an extremely short camaraderie, because they were traveling together and Chaney was his hired help. However, that relationship was never truly developed during the story due to the tragic, drunken act of Tom Chaney.

The American Dream: This myth holds that having luck, work, and perseverance will allow anyone to succeed. It informs the motives that propel everyone one else in the Western setting, although it’s not apparent in the Western hero himself. In a way, you can say that Mattie lives out the myth of the American Dream after all is said and done. She is more than motivated and determined to find Chaney, and perseveres despite almost being left behind by Rooster and LeBoeuf. Although she does have to get her arm amputated, she still ends up becoming a successful businesswoman with a good amount of money.

The American Eve Myth: This final myth serves as the female counterpart to the American Adam myth. However, in the Western genre, beauty is its only universal attribute, everything else is basically irrelevant. In this novel, we only are really focused on one woman, Mattie, and she is almost the polar opposite of an American Eve. Mattie is able to flip the script on stereotypical female roles in Western genres, and she provides more than just motivation for male action.

The assumptions made in True Grit about the nature of humans, society, and morality are that you need to be extremely tough to survive out there in the Wild West, and you need an exponential amount of grit in order to get what you want done. All of the main characters, Mattie, Rooster, and LeBoeuf are great examples of the Western hero, in the sense that they are all outsiders in their own way who will do whatever they can to defend and protect not only themselves, but the ones they care about most. Their morals can be quite skewed at times because of their motive to carry large guns and kill whoever provokes them. However, they do have a strong depth of care and love, which is seen mostly in Mattie, with her will to avenge her father’s death, as well as the sorrow she felt for her horse. Rooster also had a sense of good morality when he stood up for Mattie against LeBoeuf, as well as when he immediately rushed Mattie to the hospital after she had been bitten. Overall, there is a great reflection of American mythology throughout this novel, and is seen in more depth during the film.