Week 5: The Great American Novel

Although I didn't think True Grit was the most well written book with all its "He said...and then I said...and then he said's" and its "Now I'm going to tell you about....", I found the story of a spunky headstrong girl adventuring with two tough men to be entreating and a good representation of the Great American novel.

One of the first things I notice about this book that makes me think of America is that people act like they can do whatever they want even if it may be below the law. This book is a lot about people's rights and feeling justified to get something they want. A good example of this is how Mattie feels she has the right to Tom Chaney's life because he killer her father. You also see this same general idea later in the story when Rooster is telling Mattie about his life story. He has done some pretty unlawful things and yet he has still managed to become a US marshal.

Another thing that I noticed about the book and the movies is that they talk a lot about money. Mattie shows up and is just shelling out money right and left to get what she wants. There is a big section where she is negotiating with the man who sells horses and how she won't take less then $300. Then there is the amount of money she promises to pay Rooster. It's just a lot about money and thinking that you can use it to get people to do what you want. In this story money is power.

True Grit has a good guys vs bad guys theme in that I think is very American. The good guys in this case Mattie, Rooster, and LaBoeuf are on a quest to get revenge on the bad guys, Tom Chaney, Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of criminals. In the end of the book the good guys are victorious but that victory comes with a price. Mattie looses her hand from a snakebite and doesn't get Chaney taken back and hung in her town. The fact that not all the main characters came out on top in the end contradicted the usual hero vs villain story and made this one seem more realistic and believable.

I liked that True Grit had a strong female male character. Mattie Ross was determined and would not take no for an answer, which I thought made her an interesting character. She seemed to have the power and even when she didn't have the power she would bring up her lawyer and scare people into giving her her way. Although Mattie can be commended for her bravery and determination she can also be reprimanded for her scary thirst for revenge.

To me westerns are very American and this book is very much a classic western with its setting, characters, and themes. It takes place in Arkansas where everyone is very southern. The characters are dressed like cowboys and everyone rides a horse and owns a gun. Basically everything

Overall I thought True Grit definitely exemplifies the Great American Novel because its characters are trying to gain justice and revenge even if they have to go against the law. They are always discussing money and how much things cost and paying people to get things done for you. It is a story about good vs bad and the main characters don't come out whole in the end. There is a strong female character and it is a classic western.