In A Narrow Grave Sparknotes

Larry McMurtry's "In a Narrow Grave: Essays on Texas," with a new introduction by Diana Ossana, Liveright, 2018, provides us with an exploration of Texas and the role it has in shaping American history. With McMurtry's hand full of essays, he delves into the soul spirit of Texas, giving us the identity and the interconnectedness that it has to broader national historical developments. Over the course of this essay, we will explore three essays from the book: “Hud in Your Eye,” "Cowboys, Movies, Myths, and Cadillacs," and "Eros in Archer County." Within these essays, we will examine the themes of transition and adaptation, reflecting how the developments of the twentieth century are connected to the larger historical developments, and being

Example of this is on page 90 “During the filming of Hud several prominent citizens of the panhandle were dismayed to learn that amongst Californians it occurs quite frequently in light conversation” (McMurtry 90). The reason they were dismayed is because the people in the panhandle don’t cuss regularly because of their traditional views and hearing about California doing it regularly surprised them. This essay glosses over the national discourse of sexual liberation and the changing of gender roles in the twentieth century. As Texas engages with the issues of sexual freedom and expression, it mirrors the national dialogue on these types of problems. Changing attitudes towards sexuality in Texas is not isolated, but is part of a broader national trend towards the personal freedom and autonomy. The three essays "Hud in Your Eye," "Cowboys, Movies, Myths, and Cadillacs," and "Eros in Archer County" all have a central theme of transition as well as adaptation in Texas, causing it to mirror the broader historical developments of the twentieth

Texas, with all its rich history as well as its unique identity, helps serve as a microcosm of the United States, by reflecting the evolution that the country went through during the twentieth century. Firstly, we talked about the transition from the cowboy to the oil man, discussed in "Hud in Your Eye," which embodies the national shift from the agricultural to the industrial economy. The oil industry’s rise in Texas shows the national trend of industrialization and urbanization. As Texas was vast cattle ranchers it changed into the lead of the oil industry, this shows a parallel of the national shift towards the huge success of industrialization and urban growth. Secondly, we discussed the abuse of the myth of cowboys, which was talked about in "Cowboys, Movies, Myths, and Cadillacs," which shows the national trend with mythmaking and abuse of cultural identity. The Hollywood effect of portraying cowboys in films caused the rest of the nation to perceive them as if they are in films. This myth caused a ingrained of what cowboys are not in the national consciousness, in return causing a shift of false perceptions of identity in America both domestically and