Rooster Cogburn

This film, Rooster Cogburn was tremendously different from previous Westerns we have watched. The alpha male cowboy, John Wayne, was the only piece consistent through this movie, but even his personality was very different from the previous films. Most of the differences came through one particular character, Eula Goodnight. Eula was a main character in this western along with Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne), making the movie different from the start. In previous Westerns, women have not played big roles never mind a main role. Her personality was very different than the typical personalities of women. Eula was outspoken, confident and had a masculine air to her. She explained herself as, “more forceful and independent than a woman should be.” The way Eula so easily spoke back to Rooster, as if she was equal to him, was a huge difference in this Western because never before have we seen a woman act as though she is remotely equal to a man. Eula explains to Rooster that, “it’s true you are bigger than I am, but physically that is all.” Eula also knows how to live life the way males do in the West. She rides a horse with her legs on either side of the saddle, not both legs hung over one side, the way most women do. Eula is seeking revenge for the death of her father and fully intends to kill the man who killed him, and she is not going to wait around for someone else to do it. When they are in the middle of a gun fight you do not see Eula hiding behind the crates of Nitroglycerine, but off in the woods with her gun, taking aim and usually killing whoever she intends to shoot. Eula’s talent with guns is a huge difference from most women in Westerns, who normally do not pick one up. Eula has masculine qualities, but her femininity does come out when she has to properly say a prayer for the men that were killed which shows her nurturing characteristic that is common to most women.
Usually we see the alpha male as superior to all things, especially women, but in this Western we see that the alpha male no longer acts as though he is above the female, but equal to her. The equality between Rooster and Eula is shown when they bicker while traveling. Rooster and Eula have no problem going back and forth yelling at one another. Previously, we had not seen the alpha male cowboy show any public affection to women, where as in this movie, Rooster talks about Eula to the boy; this shows how much more of an affect she has on him than we are used to seeing. Normally the alpha male will disregard women and act as though they are not worth their time. This is far from the way Rooster acts towards Eula. Also, most Westerns tend to show the alpha male as a lone ranger, but rarely do we see Rooster traveling alone. He is traveling in a pack of three and it is not until the very end when Eula and the boy must go back that Rooster is alone.