The Searchers

"The appeal of the desert lies partly in its promise of pain, an invitation that is irresistible, as Charles Sheldon suggested, because it awakens a desire for spirtual prowess, some unearthy glory earned through life-continued disciplin, self-sacrifice, submission to a supernal power" (Thompkins, 72)

Jane Thompkins puts the relationship between the cowboy and the landscape, into perfect words. The era of the cowboy was dominated by the elements that nature had provided. This is increasingly apparent in the John Wayne film, The Searchers. The film is set in the desert, with scenes that typically portray the vast emptiness of the land. With what appears to be a scorching hot sun and a dry landscape one can only assume that the elements that are braved there are too extreme for any sensitive human being. This allows room for the alpha male to dominate. Ethan Edwards, the clear-cut alpha male in the story, has an image of braving all of the brutal elements that the land imposes on human society. When he loses his neice, Ethan cannot afford to be emotional and understands that in order to find her he must brave every unpredictable situation that is thrown at him. Edwards is the only character in the film that remains distant and seemingly unattached of the difficult situation he is faced with. The landscape has turned Ethan into an almost unhumanly figure as he remains stern while surrounded by death, frustration, and emotional situations throughout the film. The west is clearly no place for emotional figures, there is no room for them in the desert.