The Searchers- C. Phelps

The landscape in The Searchers is vast and relentless. To survive, the Cowboy must adapt to his surroundings. As Tompkins wrote, “The qualities needed to survive on the land are the qualities the land itself possesses-bleakness, mercilessness” (Tomkins, 73). John Wayne’s character had these qualities. He also possessed “-power, endurance, rugged majesty-“(Tomkins, 72). The cliffs and miles upon miles of desert throughout the film were as rugged as Ethan Edwards. This character had a strong presence and was respected for it. He was as large as the land itself. This is why Chief Scar had named him “Wide Shoulders”. Ethan also had respect for the land. He knew Mother Nature was strong too. After discovering that the Comanche war party had tricked them to attack his brother and family, Martin raced back, but Ethan knew that his horse needed to rest and eat before they could make the forty mile journey back. He understood the danger of the desert sun. Of course he was right and passed by a horseless Martin the next day. Never stopping or even communicating, Ethan rides on leaving Martin to fend for himself. Tompkins quote from Heller with a Gun sums up John Wayne’s character in this film, “He was as merciless as the frontier that bred him” (Tomkins, 73).