True Grit: Western Genre

True Grit was a pleasant read with with an appealing protagonist. I am not too familiar with Western genre films and books. However with what knowledge i know about westerns I found that True Grit was not too cliche and well written novel, with  well developed characters that readers could truly love or hate. I found Mattie to be a fun character and I admire her stubborn personality although that was also her Achilles heel. Her reckless behavior and blunt determination to continue her journey with Labeouf and Coburn even after experiencing several close calls ultimately led to the loss of her arm. Her  hot headed and ignorance to danger does make sense considering her sheltered upbringing. 

When it comes to Westerns and Cliches, I think of bank heists, gun fights, show downs, and cowboys. True Grit had all these aspects of classic western but in modest amounts as none of the actions listed above were pivotal events in the story. However like a classic a western themes of morality, dignity, and revenge fueled the  story. Although not a man of a clean background Rooster Coburn was a decent man as he kept his promise to Mattie and watched over her to the very end. Surprisingly LaBoeuf, a man with a more noble past then Rooster was more of a brute as he was eager to get rid of her and even whipped her at one point! Even among scoundrels and bandits, they too showed a hint of morality. Lucky Ned Pepper showed a reluctance to harm Mattie as he only resorted to violence when it was "necessary." The social dynamics of the book, the individual hero against the protagonist (the group) is reflective of American values. The United States prides itself on the individual, the rebel, the free one and True grit embodies those core attributes our country glorifies. 

The time period of the western is unusual to the typical Western. Instead of taking place in early times when the West was "wild" the time period is towards the end of the era. There is no glorification of the wildness and  lack of the law. Everything takes a more subdued and realistic pacing to the book. One aspect of the story that stray from the stereotypical western genre film or book was their portrayal of Native Americans. Instead of being antagonist in the film they were portrayed as people who had already assimilated to their society. The usage of a strong headed female protagonist also deviated from the typical Western, which typical show a male outlaw as the main character. The book also further deviates from the portrayal of women in general, as it transcends gender stereotypes.  When someone says you like guns better then dolls, she says she does not like guns but is using a gun in because it is necessary for her to achieve her goals. 

"True Grit" is truly a story about grit. Its portrayal of living in the west seemed believable. Living int he west is tough and the character truly had to have quite a bit of grit to have overcome the many obstacles and adversities they faced. 

Pride and Prejudice: Relevance to Contemporary Relationships?

Since the production of Pride and Prejudice in the 1800's our views and customs on marriage have changed considerably although its portrayal of people and social behavior still rings true. The name of the book " Pride and Prejudice" reflects how the characters sense of " pride" and prejudice" jade their ability to pass proper judgment on others. Characters are quick to pass judgment on others and are reluctant to acknowledge their mistakes, lingering in denial due to pride.  Jane had assumed Mr. Wickman was a good fellow because he was well mannered and thought Darcy a person of low character  because of his lack of manners. When Wikman spoke poorly of Darcy, she never doubted the man for a second assuming her first impression of Darcy was a definitive reflection of his character. It took her awhile before she took a moment to think that all her information of Darcy's misdeeds was second hand information from a single source who had no true credibility. Her eagerness to rely on first impressions and drawing far fetched conclusions from it can be seen today. People have a tendency to be quick to judge and eager to approve of or find evidence to support their ideas. Many people like Jane are eager formulate opinions, gullible to "information", and quick to pass judgment on others. I myself of misjudging others and being misjudged just as well. It is thing to do and I actively try to withhold my opinions of others, keep an open mind, and continually question the authenticity and reliability of information that I may hear.

The books portrayal of courtship and how courtship is performed today is very different. During those times coursthip was strictly reserved for the men. Even nowadays there is the expectation that men are to be the pursuers and not the pursued persists. However how we go about courtship and marriage has drastically changed. Courtship was heavily regulated social affair. Matrimony also appeared to be more of a business transaction rather than an act of love.  There was extensive references to connections and people's compatibility was more heavily influenced by social status rather than character. An example of this was Ms. Catherine's outright disapproval of the idea of her nephew, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth marrying.  Darcy came from a prestiogus family while Elizabeth did not.  Her "connections" and wealth were far inferior to her fiancee's. Individuals, in my opinion never had any extensive time or opportunity to get to know someone before committing to them. All three girls, Elizabeth, Laura, and Jane had only been acquainted with their husbands for about a year before marrying them.

Nowadays people are more inclined to take their time before committing to a partner. In contemporary western culture social status and connections are not nearly as important as social compadibility.  How we choose our partners and our views of marriage have drastically changed since the 1800s. Back in the day it was expected a women marry, it was their duty in life to do so. Nowadays marriage is not as heavily emphasized or rushed. People take their time before signing the papers.  Although people are still pressured to get married, it is not as heavily enforced as it once was.

Prologue

Hi!

My name is Amanda Jow and I am a native Californian. I was born in San Francisco but moved to nearby city called Millbrae when I was a toddler. Being so close to the city I would go there once if not twice a week to enjoy the cities numerous parks, restaurants, and art museums. Growing up in such a culturally diverse community has played a large influence of how I see and interact with the world.

As I a child quiet and socially awkward so I preferred activities that I could do by myself. So  reading became one of my favorite activities, only second to art. In middle school I read so much, my eyes would sometimes blur from staring at tiny text from hours on end.  My favorite genres at the time were mystery and adventure.  Starting high school I began to stop reading for fun. Having decided to pursue art professionally I neglected my previous passion for reading, only reading the handful of books that were assigned for school. The books listed for this class seem interesting and span a variety of genres, particularly the wonder women book!  I am excited to start reading again and hopefully this class will be the push I need to re-commit myself to reading for fun again.