Matheson- CJ

Matheson's article overall makes us look at just how a western portrays "good" and "evil" in that many actions which in normal life would be looked down upon or even negatively are viewed as acceptable in the west because of the hardness of life that is presented to the characters. One such example of this is in the Searches when we understand Ethan to be an outlaw of sorts in that he will not pledge allegiance to the Texas Rangers as well of the fact that he has a large sack of money which again is assumed to not be procured legally. Now if this sort of person existed in modern day civilized life they would be looked on with scorn and as an outcast because of their living outside the social norms of life. However in the Searchers Ethan is viewed with a certain amount of reverence in that he portrays the life of a strong and independent man. This small example shows us how the lines between good and evil can become blurred if the conditions are harsh enough that people will do anything to survive.