Western Gorilla

different. For over a hundred years the “Western” style of film has cemented itself as a hollywood staple, but has the exhaustion of its content pushed the limits of what it means to be a western? To accurately depict what it means to be considered a true Western, we first must reference the most notorious movies it has to offer; Shane, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. These movies amongst many others follow a series of elements that fits them into the Western Genre. Takes place in the…

Many readers that love the western writing genre can argue that Zane Grey is one of the bestselling western writers of all time. His novels The Lone Star Ranger and The Spirit of the Border are two examples of this. In these two novels Grey does a good job at showing the differences of the west during two different time periods when Native Americans roamed the lands and when cowboys and outlaws ruled the west. When examining the two novels, it will show the stereotypical views of the west,…

Driving through the Western University gates on Richmond Street in the Fall of 2011 was my first glance into a place I would soon call my home; although, I did not know it at first. As an impressionable 17-year-old, I did not have a clue as to what I was looking for in a university. I felt a variety of emotions when touring Western during my last year of high school, including, but not limited to, excitement, insecurity, anxiety, and confusion. Such a large campus overwhelmed me; however, I…

decades. Westerns in film have been a huge portion of this identity. First, it began with documentation of Daniel Boone explorations, then on to the dime store novel. Western film would be the biggest influence on American identity. Visual media of the west aroused America’s fascination with unconquered lands and the promise of new beginnings. These visions additionally formed ideals of supremacy, a sense of entitlement, and subjugation. Consistent themes prevailed throughout the Western and…

inequity of gender across Civilisations globally and the homogenous societies and dehumanisation over other ethnicities. As these matters were prevalent during the twentieth century resulting in the change of national values, primarily within the Western World, one must examine the importance of representation. Analysing the usage of myths and its influence on cultures, shaping values within societies to studying…

ideas, and opinions is the man depicted in the Hollywood Western. That man, or person, is the settler, cowboy, or lonesome traveler who traverses the Western frontier in search of his place in and the promise of America. As America expands its frontier to the West during the nineteenth-century, the depiction of what it means to be a heroic settler formed in the American psyche. When films came to the silver screen the genre of Hollywood Westerns created protagonists who exemplified qualities…

Westerns: The Final Chapter During my research, I came to the conclusion that I really didn’t enjoy westerns very much. In order to understand why I don’t enjoy westerns much, we must first get a basic idea of what a western is. Westerns are more of an older genre as they are not made much in the modern day and age. To understand westerns, knowing the basic themes and elements would be most helpful. The four main themes of a western include: Man vs. Nature, Good vs. Evil, East meets West and…

Ehrlich's narrative focuses on what the life of a cowboy truly is when compared to the image of them created by the media. Generally, a 'cowboy' is a male rancher who is thought to be an insensitive, hard-bitten, tough young man who will accomplish any job needed for the ranch with no emotional reactions of any kind. This means no matter how demanding, dangerous, or exhaustive the job may be a cowboy will accomplish the task at hand. If a cowboy's entire persona was judged on how they acted…

however the directors use constant imagery of the orient in a barbaric manner to reconfirm the stereotypes by constantly undermining the Jordanian society. Norma relies on the craving of fantasy from the occident to show the gap between America, western culture and Jordan eastern culture. By the documentary showing Norma in both America and Jordan it differentiates the two, one being where she is most comfortable and the other being a mysterious place that could potentially harm her. Norma…

Religion and culture both have influence on views regarding death and dying in the Western World. This essay will show the impact this influence may have on views today. Religion is defined in the Oxford English dictionary as “Belief… which is typically manifested in obedience, reverence, and worship; such a belief as part of a system defining a code of living, esp. as a means of achieving spiritual or material improvement.” (2014). Culture on the other hand is defined as “The distinctive ideas…