Gender is a societal subject that has evolved and changed so many times throughout history. Over all, though, it is evident that men have always had a precedence over women from the very beginning. It took years for women to be able to vote, get jobs that were considered "a man's job", and even today there are still issues with men and women receiving equal pay. In Charles Portis's novel True Grit, a fourteen-year-old girl named Mattie steps up to the plate to find vengeance for her murdered father. The novel takes place in the late 1800's, so it is natural to assume that women would be discriminated against. Mattie defies the odds and stands up for herself; she easily holds her own with the men. Although Mattie is the assumed protagonist,
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It is insane to think that a fourteen-year-old girl is able to accomplish the things that she does. She is most certainly a defining female character in American literature. The novel even starts by saying "People do not give credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the winter time to avenge her father's blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it didn't happen every day" (Portis 11). From the first sentence, it is clear that she is a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, she demonstrates her strength when arguing with the man who sold her father some ponies. He …show more content…
One quote that really stands out is Rooster's "I don't like that kind of talk. It is like women talking" (Portis 157). LeBeouf is trying to defend himself and Rooster quickly shows that he has no interest in showing emotion, claiming it is womanly. The quote comes across in a negative way. He makes it sound like acting like a woman is a bad, or inferior, thing. Moments like this are prominent throughout the novel. Another major downfall for this novel is how Mattie ends up needing saving in the end. She goes on this mission to avenge her father but was "not to taste the victory. The kick of the big pistol sent me reeling backward" (Portis 204). Rooster ends up being the one to kill Chaney, rescue Mattie, and get
It is insane to think that a fourteen-year-old girl is able to accomplish the things that she does. She is most certainly a defining female character in American literature. The novel even starts by saying "People do not give credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the winter time to avenge her father's blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it didn't happen every day" (Portis 11). From the first sentence, it is clear that she is a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, she demonstrates her strength when arguing with the man who sold her father some ponies. He …show more content…
One quote that really stands out is Rooster's "I don't like that kind of talk. It is like women talking" (Portis 157). LeBeouf is trying to defend himself and Rooster quickly shows that he has no interest in showing emotion, claiming it is womanly. The quote comes across in a negative way. He makes it sound like acting like a woman is a bad, or inferior, thing. Moments like this are prominent throughout the novel. Another major downfall for this novel is how Mattie ends up needing saving in the end. She goes on this mission to avenge her father but was "not to taste the victory. The kick of the big pistol sent me reeling backward" (Portis 204). Rooster ends up being the one to kill Chaney, rescue Mattie, and get