The “Good” vs. “Bad” Girl in Stagecoach In John Ford’s film, Stagecoach, he shows his audience the drastic difference between a lady from the East and a prostitute from the West. When the film opens, the audience meets a proper and well-behaved woman, introduced to us as Lucy Mallory, searching for her husband, “I’ve traveled all the way here from Virginia. I’m determined to get to my husband. I won’t be separated any longer” (Ford, 1939). She quickly shows that she is quite the opposite of Dallas, with the men asking her opinion and putting the drink in a separate cup from the other people in the car for her. By replying to her driver, Buck’s, comment of “you’re looking a little…” with “I’ll be all right, thank you” (Ford, 1939) Mrs. Mallory
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Doc, can they make me leave town when I don’t wanna go? Do I have to go?” (Ford, 1939). The Doc then replies, “We have been struck down by a foul disease called social prejudice, my child. These dear ladies of the Law and Order League are scouring out the dregs of the town. Come on, be a proud, glorified dreg like me” (Ford, 1939). He tells Dallas this since he knows that these women will be able to kick her out of town, no matter how hard she tries to overrule them. They appear to have higher authority than Dallas and can throw her out of the town in the blink of an eye. While this is happening with Dallas, Mrs. Mallory asks her driver, “Is there some place here where I can have a cup of tea?” with the driver, Buck, replying “Well, yes ma’am, you can get a cup of coffee at the hotel across the street there” (Ford, 1939). This particular moment in the film shows the viewers that Mrs. Mallory is a classy woman and in the upper class which the West is not. Buck’s reply shows the viewers that he needs Mrs. Mallory to understand that she is not in the East anymore and that they do not have “tea” there, only …show more content…
“bad girl” setup in the film has come to a close, even though the viewers learn that Mrs. Mallory and Dallas have opposite views on morality and integrity. We observe the how the men around them treat them differently, such as when Mrs. Mallory receives a separate cup from the rest of the crew, but Dallas does not and when the others cater to Mrs. Mallory but everyone, except Ringo, sweeps Dallas under the rug. Throughout the film, we witness that Mrs. Mallory dismisses Dallas’ polite attitude towards her, but towards the conclusion of the movie, Mrs. Mallory accepts Dallas’s help and hopes to return the favor if there is ever anything Dallas needs in the future. Both Mrs. Mallory and Dallas have their happy ending: Mrs. Mallory reunites with her husband and Dallas rides off into the sunset with
Doc, can they make me leave town when I don’t wanna go? Do I have to go?” (Ford, 1939). The Doc then replies, “We have been struck down by a foul disease called social prejudice, my child. These dear ladies of the Law and Order League are scouring out the dregs of the town. Come on, be a proud, glorified dreg like me” (Ford, 1939). He tells Dallas this since he knows that these women will be able to kick her out of town, no matter how hard she tries to overrule them. They appear to have higher authority than Dallas and can throw her out of the town in the blink of an eye. While this is happening with Dallas, Mrs. Mallory asks her driver, “Is there some place here where I can have a cup of tea?” with the driver, Buck, replying “Well, yes ma’am, you can get a cup of coffee at the hotel across the street there” (Ford, 1939). This particular moment in the film shows the viewers that Mrs. Mallory is a classy woman and in the upper class which the West is not. Buck’s reply shows the viewers that he needs Mrs. Mallory to understand that she is not in the East anymore and that they do not have “tea” there, only …show more content…
“bad girl” setup in the film has come to a close, even though the viewers learn that Mrs. Mallory and Dallas have opposite views on morality and integrity. We observe the how the men around them treat them differently, such as when Mrs. Mallory receives a separate cup from the rest of the crew, but Dallas does not and when the others cater to Mrs. Mallory but everyone, except Ringo, sweeps Dallas under the rug. Throughout the film, we witness that Mrs. Mallory dismisses Dallas’ polite attitude towards her, but towards the conclusion of the movie, Mrs. Mallory accepts Dallas’s help and hopes to return the favor if there is ever anything Dallas needs in the future. Both Mrs. Mallory and Dallas have their happy ending: Mrs. Mallory reunites with her husband and Dallas rides off into the sunset with