In the film the Red River there appears to be two alpha male characters, Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth. Both men possess similar qualities such as their gun skills that define them as the alpha male cowboy. Although they both have similar skills both men have opposing veiws when it comes to certain issues which lead me to believe that Dunson may be more of the ideal alpha male cowboy than Garth. In the scene when one of the men cause a stampede that lost a portion of the cattle Tom became very upset with him and the man pulled out his gun on Tom in order to defend himself. Due to the compassion that Matt possesses he shoots the man in the shoulder because he knew that Tom would have ' shot him between the eyes'. It is clear that Tom displays characteristics such as his aggression and cut throat attitude that lead the viewer to believe that he is more of an alpha male. The compassion that Matt shows towards the men leads viewers away from the idea of Matt being an alpha male cowboy.
An alpha male cowboy does not typically pursue his love interests, they do not entertain the idea of a woman as more than an object. In the film Matt pursues his love interest and she notices that he is shaking when Tom tells him he is going to come back to kill him because he takes over the cattle drive. According to Tompkin's an alpha male cowboy rarely shows emotions much less fear. Once again we see less of a reason to categorize Matt as an alpha male cowboy and more of a reason to view Tom as the alpha male cowboy.
The Alpha male cowboy is one who lives alone, is a loner and lives solely for the land. At the beginning of the film Dunson leaves the woman who loves him because he does not think the West is an appropriate place for a woman. Here he shows that he is living for the land and what is acceptable there which is being alone. On the other hand Matt also leaves the woman who loves him but he ends the film with her. Although both men display characteristics of an alpha male cowboy it is clear to me that Tom Dunson possesses greater qualities of an alpha male than Matt Garth does.
In the film the Red River there appears to be two alpha male characters, Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth. Both men possess similar qualities such as their gun skills that define them as the alpha male cowboys. Although they both have similar skills both men have opposing views when it comes to certain issues which lead me to believe that Dunson may be more of the ideal alpha male cowboy than Garth.
ReplyDeleteDunson obeys the law of the land and the law of the gun which are both fundamental characteristics of an alpha male cowboy. Dunson displays these qualities when he states that he will kill those who desert the cattle drive and steal any food. In the scene when one of the men cause a stampede that lost a portion of the cattle Tom became very upset with him and the man pulled out his gun on Tom in order to defend himself. Due to the compassion that Matt possesses he shoots the man in the shoulder because he knew that Tom would have ' shot him between the eyes'. Dunson takes Matt under his wings and treats him as a son. Dunson behaves as a father figure to Matt which is typical alpha male behavior.
The compassion that Matt shows towards the men leads viewers away from the idea of Matt being an alpha male cowboy. An alpha male cowboy does not typically pursue his love interests; they do not entertain the idea of a woman as more than an object. In the film Matt pursues his love interest and she notices that he is shaking when Tom tells him he is going to come back to kill him because he takes over the cattle drive. According to Tompkins an alpha male cowboy rarely shows emotions much less fear. During the cattle drive Dunson wants to kill those who drove and stole the cattle while Matt does not allow him. Once again we see less of a reason to categorize Matt as an alpha male cowboy and more of a reason to view Tom as the alpha male cowboy.
The Alpha male cowboy is one who lives alone, is a loner and lives solely for the land. At the beginning of the film Dunson leaves the woman who loves him because he does not think the West is an appropriate place for a woman. Here he shows that he is living for the land and what is acceptable there which is being alone. On the other hand Matt also leaves the woman who loves him but he ends the film with her.
Although both men display characteristics of an alpha male cowboy it is clear to me that Tom Dunson possesses greater qualities of an alpha male than Matt Garth does.