Rooster Cogburn- AM

From the beginning of the movie, it is very obvious that this is not the typical western. The main character, Rooster Cogburn is seen riding his horse with someone else at his side. This is the opposite of the beginning of The Searchers, where Ethan rides through the desert by himself, claiming his status as alpha male. Within the first ten minutes Rooster is stripped of his badge as U.S. Marshall after he avenges the death of his friend, the Deputy. This is the first film where the alpha male cowboy is punished by the law, demeaning him. Rooster’s appearance is also very different from that of other alpha male cowboys. He is a drunk who claims that "there ain’t justice in the West no more” after he is told by the Judge that he abused justice in killing those men. In this movie, the alpha male cowboy is no longer in charge, and is not above the law of the book.

One more thing that separates this from the other films is the role of Eula Goodnight. Eula is a daughter of a Yankee preacher and she acts as a sidekick to Rooster Cogburn, if not an equal. She displays her strong personality by sticking up to Hawk as he and his followers attempt to take over the settlement and says, “I do not fear what men do to me.” As Hawk shoots she does not budge, even as bullets hit the sand next to her feet. As Hawk rampages her settlement, she is most concerned with helping the Indians seek protection in the fields. After her father and friends are killed by Hawk and his followers, Rooster comes along and brings Eula and Wolf to Bagsby’s house in order to keep them safe. Against her will, Rooster tells her to stay there, but Eula refuses to do so. She believes it is her duty to avenge the death of her father, just like Rooster killed the men at the beginning of the film out of respect for the Deputy. While her frequent chatter and religious behavior are seen as weaknesses in the eye of the cowboy, this is the furthest thing from the truth. She is the reason why Hawk was deceived and caught at the end of the film and why Rooster was reinstated by the Judge. Although Eula is helpful with regards to her survival, and that of Wolf and Rooster, Rooster still makes it clear throughout the film that he views woman as weaker individuals. He tells Eula that it would be too much for her to go along with him and that she should stay at Bagsby’s and fix her fingernails and crochet. At one point he says to Wolf, “if they ever give them the vote, God help us.” Rooster is stunned by her ability to shoot a gun and balance his expenditures. This movie brings the female role to a new light. Although the alpha male cowboy says that women are weaker, he knows that there are some things that she can handle without his help even if he will never admit to Eula's self-sufficiency.