Stereotypical Old West Lawman in the Radio Series Gunsmoke
When considering the attributes of the Old West lawman, the mind frequently turns to the lawmen made familiar through works of fiction, created for the purposes of entertainment. One specific example of such a fictional depiction of "the lawman" exists in the episodic radio series entitled, "Gunsmoke." In this series, Matt Dillon, the Sheriff of Dodge City, repeatedly exhibits many qualities, which could be labeled as stereotypical. After analyzing several Gunsmoke episodes, and reviewing the analyses of many others, one trait, which seems to be present in Matt Dillon, is that of invincibility. Matt Dillon shoots the "bad guy" but never gets shot. He is always victorious. He always wins. We can see this pattern exemplified in three diverse situations. First, Dillon always wins a face to face gunfight. Secondly, Dillon is victorious even when he is ambushed or unprepared for an attack. And finally, Dillon wins even when no physical violence or gunplay takes place.
The turnover rate, not to mention the stress level, for authentic sheriffs of the Old West was probably quite high. For a radio sheriff, like Matt Dillon, there was undoubtedly a lot of comfort in the assurance that he had to be in the next episode. No quick drawing, ne'er do well would ever best him. The gunfights were frequent and always ended the same way. In the episode entitled "Crack Up" for example, a known killer named Nate Springer, comes to Dodge specifically to do away with Dillon. After much planning and plotting, when the smoke clears from the climactic gun battle, it is Springer sprawled in the dust as the victorious Dillon reholsters his trusty weapon ("Crack-Up." 02-26-55). Similarly, in the episode entitled "Monopoly," an experienced killer named Cam Speckle, who has had a notorious past and had succeeded in outdrawing and killing a man in the street just moments before facing Dillon, falls victim to the Marshall's uncanny accuracy ("Monopoly" 5-22-54). These are only two of the innumerable instances in which Marshall Dillon conquers all comers.
Another situation from which Marshall Dillon emerges unscathed, is the classic ambush. A determined killer lays in wait, trains his weapon on Dillon, and misses. This very scenario took place in the episode entitled "Paid Killer." Ed Granger, a killer for hire, has accepted $5,000 in gold to kill Matt. He picks a deserted street, takes careful aim and attempts to shoot Dillon, who is nonchalantly strolling down the sidewalk.
The novel begins with the author’s own experiences as a law enforcement officer and his ideals on the use of deadly force. He explains that “at some deep subconscious level humans are both drawn to and repulsed by violence of any sort” (Klinger, 2004, page 8) and goes on to elaborate why the killing of a human being by an officer is acceptable in the eyes of society today. Even though this truth may seem harsh to some, the overall effects that occur when an officer fires his gun is even harsher when the light of reality is shed upon these gruesome incidences. As the novel continues, Klinger begins to share more information about the career that these few men and women choose to go into. The author describes how many of his interviewees were asked when applying to law enforcement agencies how they would feel about having to shoot someone. Most answered they would not feel any sort of hesitation, yet some men and women in their interviews with the author revealed that they never thought about themselves in that situation and were somewhat taken back by the question. Moreover, Klinger explains that shootings are uncommon incidences in the police...
Jackson, Shirley.. "The Lottery." Trans. Array Literature, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. . Seventh. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2013. 250-256. Print.
When they handcuffed and brought him to the conference room, he raced off from four police offers and leaped through a glass window. Witnesses of the event say that he had fallen headfirst and broke several bones when he hit the sidewalk. Investigators of criminal law are looking at how the man got a gun past courthouse security.
The men walked outside and began to take 10 paces from each other, although Jackson had been a few duels, Dickinson had the fastest gun in town. At 9 paces Dickinson turned around and fire early and struck jackson in the chest just as he was turning, jackson put his hand in the wound caused by the bullet and fired back at dickinson, unfortunately the fire was a mis fire. But jackson in the heat of the moment re cocked the gun and fired again, this time killing dickinson as the bullet hit him in the face.
Few Hollywood film makers have captured America’s Wild West history as depicted in the movies, Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Most Western movies had fairly simple but very similar plots, including personal conflicts, land rights, crimes and of course, failed romances that typically led to drinking more alcoholic beverages than could respectfully be consumed by any one person, as they attempted to drown their sorrows away. The 1958 Rio Bravo and 1967 El Dorado Western movies directed by Howard Hawks, and starring John Wayne have a similar theme and plot. They tell the story of a sheriff and three of his deputies, as they stand alone against adversity in the name of the law. Western movies like these two have forever left a memorable and lasting impressions in the memory of every viewer, with its gunfighters, action filled saloons and sardonic showdowns all in the name of masculinity, revenge and unlawful aggressive behavior. Featuring some of the most famous backdrops in the world ranging from the rustic Red Rock Mountains of Monument Valley in Utah, to the jagged snow capped Mountain tops of the Teton Range in Wyoming, gun-slinging cowboys out in search of mischief and most often at their own misfortune traveled far and wide, seeking one dangerous encounter after another, and unfortunately, ending in their own demise.
Lott, Jr. John R. More Gun Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert Ray explains how there are two vastly different heroes: the outlaw hero and the official hero. The official hero has common values and traditional beliefs. The outlaw hero has a clear view of right and wrong but unlike the official hero, works above the law. Ray explains how the role of an outlaw hero has many traits. The morals of these heroes can be compared clearly. Films that contain official heroes and outlaw heroes are effective because they promise viewer’s strength, power, intelligence, and authority whether you are above the law or below it.
Because of the outlaw hero’s definitive elements, society more so identifies with this myth. Ray said, “…the scarcity of mature heroes in American...
While the western frontier was still new and untamed, the western hero often took on the role of a vigilante. The vigilante’s role in the frontier was that of extralegal verve which was used to restrain criminal threats to the civil peace and opulence of a local community. Vigilantism was typical to the settler-state societies of the western frontier where the structures and powers of government were at first very feeble and weak. The typical cowboy hero had a willingness to use this extralegal verve. The Virginian demonstrated this throughout with his interactions with Trampas, most notably in the interactions leading up to the shoot out and during the shoot-out itself. “Others struggled with Trampas, and his bullet smashed the ceiling before they could drag the pistol from him… Yet the Virginian stood quiet by the...
1. Often, it is concluded that a lone gunman couldn’t have made the shots in the short seconds of the shooting (Rubinstein 4).
In "The Thematic Paradigm", Robert Ray explains how there are two distinctly different heroes, the outlaw hero and the official hero. The official hero embraces common values and traditional beliefs, while the outlaw has a clear sense of right and wrong but operates above the law (Ray). Ray explains how the role of an outlaw hero has many traits. "The attractiveness of the outlaw hero's childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America's cult of childhood", states Ray. (309) Ray also says, "To the outlaw hero's inconsistence on private standards of right and wrong, the official hero offered the admonition, you cannot take the law into your own hands." (312) The values of these two traditional heroes contrasts clearly. Society favors the outlaw hero because we identify with that character more. We see ourselves more so in the outlaw hero than in the official hero. The outlaw hero has the "childlike" qualities that most of us wish we had as adults. To civilians it may seem that the outlaw hero lives more of a fantasy life that we all wish to have.
Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Gioia, Dana and R.S. Gwynn. The Art of the Short Story. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006. 390-396.
"The Lottery," a short story written by Shirley Jackson, is a tale about a disturbing social practice. The setting takes place in a small village consisting of about three hundred denizens. On June twenty-seventh of every year, the members of this traditional community hold a village-wide lottery in which everyone is expected to participate. Throughout the story, the reader gets an odd feeling regarding the residents and their annual practice. Not until the end does he or she gets to know what the lottery is about. Thus, from the beginning of the story until almost the end, there is an overwhelming sense that something terrible is about to happen due to the Jackson's effective use of foreshadowing through the depiction of characters and setting. Effective foreshadowing builds anticipation for the climax and ultimately the main theme of the story - the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and cruelty.