It's clear that the film Rooster Cogburn is not like other Westerns in regards to its portrayal of the female character. Eula Goodnight is not the typical submissive, passive and secondary female character that so often appears in the Western film. Instead, Eula adopts many traits that previously were reserved not only for the male character, but for the alpha male character.
Eula is confident, and though she recognizes that her physical strength is not comparable to that of Cogburn, she has faith in her other strengths, such as when she says "you might be physically stronger but that is it". She also has a sidekick, which is typically reserved for the alpha male character. Perhaps the most symbolic aspect of the female role in Rooster Cogburn is the fact that Eula is capable of using a firearm, and furthermore uses it to save Cogburn's life. With the gun often referred to as a phallic symbol and a strong representation of manhood, the fact that Eula can wield one and the dramatic impact it has reflects the change in society at the time.
This film was made in 1975, and so it is no coincidence that during this time women were fighting for and earning the right to vote among many other civil rights. Rooster Cogburn almost wasn't made because many thought that no one was interested in Western's anymore. Instead, it was in fact a success and this could possibly be attributed to the fact that it represented the change in woman's rights as well as the overall outlook on the female in society.
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