Discuss any one of the following:

  1. In one of the sidebars to Lecture 6 I mention how the ending of "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" has details that suggest the old, wild ways are being replaced by civilization--a key idea in lots of westerns because it is a key element in the history of America. Go through the rest of Crane's story and find other lines, scenes, images, descriptions that suggest that the once-uncivilized West is being replaced by civilizing forces; explain the examples you choose.

  2. Explore the nature of the western hero (or anti-hero) in a western film or reading other than "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" or The Searchers. Feel free to discuss any of the other films I mentioned in the lecture (yes, including The Wild Bunch, but you'll want to describe other scenes in detail to back up your observations about the nature of the hero. You may want to look at how the western hero often operates with a personal code that prizes justice over law (personal values over legal regulations). Don't forget that the western hero is usually an outsider; he often has unheroic qualities, but his character is what is needed to get things done, to survive, to save a town, etc.

  3. In my brief lecture I suggest that some westerns satirize the hypocrisy of so-called civilized societies. Discuss how a western (reading or film) mocks big business or corruption in politics or even the savagery of civilized people. If you've seen The Wild Bunch, for example, you might discuss the opening which reveals that childhood innocence is more an ideal than a reality. Also Charles Portis's True Grit is laced with satire throughout. If you choose to discuss satire, you might want to (I recommend it) compare some of the things ridiculed in the book or film to current society to show that it's still relevant.

As always, be sure to include documented quotations from readings and/or detailed scene descriptions to support your answer if you wish to earn maximum points.