High Noon/ Little Jo Ashley Rossi

In the films High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo, women make an appearance in the Westerns exhibiting strength, capability and sacrifice; these characteristics are contrary to Tompkins idea of women in western cinema. Tompkins believes that women act as props and help to move along plot and emphasize the alpha male cowboy’s strength and heroism. Tompkins said in her chapter describing death, “women are the motive for male activity (it’s women who are being avenged, it’s a women the men are trying to rescue)” and that, ”women stand for love and forgiveness in place of vengeance”(41). However, the women in the films exhibit independence and hardiness. In High Noon, Amy exhibits some strong characteristics. She was firm in her stance against violence and did not want to stay with William Kane. She had planned to take the noon train out of town to leave him; She speaks up and has a reaction to events in the movie and does not just act as a means to facilitate the plot. Yet, her strength is replaced with love when she hears the gun shot fire and returns to town. Despite change of heart due to love for her husband and her decision to return back to town, she is still an emotionally strong women when she decides to pick up a gun and shoot one of Frank Miller’s gang. Yet, she will never be as strong as the other leading woman, Helen Rodriguez. Helen orders men around. She makes decisions by herself and owns a shop. She has relationships with many men but does not allow them to control her. Ultimately, Helen leaves town because it is what is in her best interest. She is a free, clear thinker who does not think emotionally or irrationally. In addition, the film’s use of a woman speaking out in church and having her opinion and idea heard shows the changing ideas of women that occurred in culture as the film was being made (in 1952). In, The Ballad of Little Jo, a woman becomes a man. Josephine Monaghan was originally a lady of society in the east and is able to successfully live as a man in the west down to the very last detail. Her true sex is only discovered in her death. She exhibits all alpha male characteristics. She lives by herself secluded and antisocial; she takes a job as a sheep herder living by herself for four months. Using her own moral compass, she stands up against injustices, like the hanging of the Asian man, Tin Man, and gives up her child to protect it, despite how she misses it. Her love interest dies, like many cowboy’s lovers. She faces constant suffering. The film, made in 1993, shows the complete and total acceptance of women as equals to men in American society.