True Grit: A Coming-Of-Age Western

When I first heard we were going to read True Grit, all I knew was that it was a Western Movie. My father is a fan of westerns and as a kid I simply found them boring. But I was entertained with True Grit from beginning to end. It wasn’t just another John Wayne movie. The protagonist, a young female immediately had my attention and I related to her. She reminded me almost of Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. Both strong female leads that go against the grain so to speak. Mattie, a fourteen year old girl sets out to avenge her father’s death.

It defied the traditional western in many ways. The biggest being the blurry line between good and evil. In most Westerns there are the good guys, and the bad guys, who is who is obvious, and the good guys win. But what is considered justice is blurred in True Grit. When it comes to Chaney, the only justice for Mattie is to see him killed in her hometown. For Rooster it isn’t about justice as much as the money which brings into question his moral code, which is also questioned earlier in the courts. For LeBoeuf it’s about his honor as a Texas Ranger. He’s a dedicated lawman. That, and the money.

The other thing that caught my attention about this movie used the western backdrop to create a coming-of-age story. There were less scenes of fighting the bad guys than there were the development of Mattie. It’s about her setting out on her own to avenge her father’s death and doing everything in her power to make it happen despite how the adults looked down upon her. She was growing up, becoming independent. She wouldn’t take no for an answer when Rooster and LeBoeuf tried to leave without her. During the long rides we learned of her struggles and how she refused to complain. In the end, what I found to be the climax was Mattie falling into the snake-pit and her struggle to survive. And when she did at the end of the adventure she was an adult. The climax wasn’t about catching the bad guy, but that was rather a way to help move the story of Mattie.

This is why I believe I enjoyed the book so much, because it was a coming-of-age story disguised as a western.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, when our assignment to read the book was given to us I was less than eager to read it. It was just another old book that I had managed to avoid reading throughout high school, and a love story at that. But my dread as I read the first pages quickly turned to interest. I found myself relating to the story, as I am sure many people can. From the romantic relationships to the relationships of parent and child and the bond of siblings, Pride and Prejudice has all. It is a book not driven by action, but by the characters.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are just like many parents of today. Mrs. Bennet is noisy and often embarrassing, exactly as teenagers see their parents today, although she only wants the best for her daughters. On a personal level, my mother has the same eagerness for me to meet someone as Mrs. Bennet did for her daughters. My parents were married at 18, and my mother is always asking if there is any new man in my life. If I ever happen to say yes, she wants to know everything.

From a romantic standpoint, the book shows a fairytale romance between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, but also shows the opposite in the relationship between Wickham and Lydia. Wickham exploits and woos young women for their wealth. This still happens today, especially in young adults, relationships and women are exploited for sex then once a man gets what he wants he leaves her. Although in the case of Wickham and Lydia, he is paid to marry her. I relate this to today in the sense of marrying only because the woman gets pregnant. It isn’t marriage for love, but rather out of a sense of obligation.

From a sisterly view, these sisters are as close as siblings can get. Perhaps the biggest example of this in Pride and Prejudice is when Jane falls sick at Bingley’s estate thanks to their mother who insisted she go on horseback, Elizabeth was determined to go visit her and on foot at that. Having a sister, I relate to this greatly. When one of us would get in a fight with our mother, our sister would always be there to take our side. We were together in everything.

Day One, Origins, Influences, and Ideology

What are your origins?

Origin is defined as the point of place where something begins, arises, or is derived. From that logic my origins would be Omaha, Nebraska where I was conceived and born. I was technically born in Omaha, Nebraska but I was in Louisiana by the time I was three months old. My origins are not rooted in any singular state or city. I’ve lived in Nebraska, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, and Hawaii. I probably missed a few. My origins are rooted in my family.  Related by blood I have my mother, father, and sister, my larger family is the military. My mother and father are my origin. Neither of them led the best of childhoods but they met and were married at 18. They put each other through college. My mom always tells me the story of how she would be so excited when she found some extra change. She would go to the store and buy a can of spaghetti-O’s. They were determined make their own path. My father joined the Air Force after college and became an Officer. A pilot to be exact. A B-1 Bomber pilot.

Who are your influences?

My biggest influences are my parents and the military. Because of the Air Force I was able to live in different states, learn different cultures, and meet all sorts of people. We were stationed in Hawaii so I got to discover my love of being around the ocean. But that would never have happened without my parents and my father deciding to become an officer. Because of my parents and the military we were able to go on vacations to places like China and Japan. I’ve had experiences that have opened my eyes and that have made me want to share with the world. Which is why I decided to become an artist. I chose animation in particular because animated films were another constant in my life throughout growing up. No matter where I was living I could always push the tape into the VCR and watch my favorite animated movie. I could go off listing artists that have inspired me once I was old enough to be interested in them. But at the root my parents and the military are what started it all.

What is your ideology?

My ideology at the root is that humans are naturally good-hearted. There have been wars, but it was always because groups thought one ideology was better than another. Another is that all life is valuable. Once there was a bug on the outside of the car while we were speeding down the interstate. I cried and screamed until my father pulled over and the bug could go free. This doesn’t mean that I’m against eating meat, I believe it is natural for humans to eat meat but up to the point of slaughter is it asking too much to give the animal a good life and a relatively painless/quick death?