The Searchers
In the film The Searchers, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, harmful stereotypes about Native Americans become very apparent and seem to overshadow any progressive aspects. Even though the film’s plot centers around the struggle between the Comanches and John Wayne’s band of fighters, the main focus is actually on John Wayne’s character, Ethan Edwards. Through Ethan, many stereotypes are perpetuated throughout the entire film not only about the Comanche tribe, but about other Native Americans as well. Through this Western, Ford shows the struggles of expanding the Western frontier that include issues of race, and the progressive aspects of the film are revealed through close examination.
At first, the film seems …show more content…
Stebbins explains that “Ford used The Searchers to examine Euro-American fears about encounters with people and societies different from themselves-people socially constructed as a different race” (Stebbins, 34) and that Ford, as an Irish immigrant himself, displays “both an immigrant’s pride in his adopted homeland and the immigrant’s insight as an outsider” (Stebbins, 34). While watching the film without any close reading of its themes, it seems as though this “insight as an outsider” is nonexistent, as on the surface, the film is full of stereotypes perpetuated by John Wayne’s character Ethan. Yet, the character Martin, described as part Cherokee holds many opportunities for Ford to portray Native Americans in a good light. Not only does Martin hesitate before taking violent action, he also is concerned about his family who adopted him as well as a girl named Laurie who he loves. If Ethan was supposed to be the character that Americans were to take example from, Ford would not have made him more violent and blood-thirsty than the man who is half …show more content…
For example, Stebbins raises the point that perhaps “American Indians in The Searchers stand in for African Americans” (Stebbins, 34). Despite the fact that Stebbins means that the portrayal of Native Americans in the film can be switched with African Americans regarding issues of race in the 1950s, this would mean that the issues brought up about Native American racial stereotypes are either not as important or nonexistent. Perhaps this point might be clearer if Stebbins were to address the fact that within this time period, it would have been more difficult for Ford to bring up issues of race regarding African Americans rather than Native Americans. In this way, it would be easier to think about how issues of race can include and apply to multiple races and not just Native Americans, thus allowing for even less restrictive
In the film The Searchers, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, harmful stereotypes about Native Americans become very apparent and seem to overshadow any progressive aspects. Even though the film’s plot centers around the struggle between the Comanches and John Wayne’s band of fighters, the main focus is actually on John Wayne’s character, Ethan Edwards. Through Ethan, many stereotypes are perpetuated throughout the entire film not only about the Comanche tribe, but about other Native Americans as well. Through this Western, Ford shows the struggles of expanding the Western frontier that include issues of race, and the progressive aspects of the film are revealed through close examination.
At first, the film seems …show more content…
Stebbins explains that “Ford used The Searchers to examine Euro-American fears about encounters with people and societies different from themselves-people socially constructed as a different race” (Stebbins, 34) and that Ford, as an Irish immigrant himself, displays “both an immigrant’s pride in his adopted homeland and the immigrant’s insight as an outsider” (Stebbins, 34). While watching the film without any close reading of its themes, it seems as though this “insight as an outsider” is nonexistent, as on the surface, the film is full of stereotypes perpetuated by John Wayne’s character Ethan. Yet, the character Martin, described as part Cherokee holds many opportunities for Ford to portray Native Americans in a good light. Not only does Martin hesitate before taking violent action, he also is concerned about his family who adopted him as well as a girl named Laurie who he loves. If Ethan was supposed to be the character that Americans were to take example from, Ford would not have made him more violent and blood-thirsty than the man who is half …show more content…
For example, Stebbins raises the point that perhaps “American Indians in The Searchers stand in for African Americans” (Stebbins, 34). Despite the fact that Stebbins means that the portrayal of Native Americans in the film can be switched with African Americans regarding issues of race in the 1950s, this would mean that the issues brought up about Native American racial stereotypes are either not as important or nonexistent. Perhaps this point might be clearer if Stebbins were to address the fact that within this time period, it would have been more difficult for Ford to bring up issues of race regarding African Americans rather than Native Americans. In this way, it would be easier to think about how issues of race can include and apply to multiple races and not just Native Americans, thus allowing for even less restrictive