The Searchers

The Western as Myth

“ . . . in The Searchers (dir. John Ford, 1956) there is a direct confrontation with the fact that the origin of the territorial U.S. rested on a virulent racism and genocidal war against aboriginal peoples, a war that would not have been possible and perhaps would not have been won without the racist hatred of characters like the John Wayne character.”- Robert B. Pippin, “What Is a Western? Politics and Self-Knowledge in John Ford’s The Searchers,” Critical Inquiry 35.2 (2009)

Parallels in The Searchers

First shot

Last shot

Two massacres

Death of Martha

Death of Look

Ethan and Scar

Ethan and Marty flee Indians

Debbie flees Ethan

Mis-recognizing Debbie

Recognizing Debbie

The Edwards home

The Jorgensen home

“They ain’t white. Anymore.”

“Do you know what Ethan will do if has the chance? He’ll put a bullet in her brain. I tell you Martha would want him to”

Borders

Marty crosses the border

The border as farce

Marriages on the BorderDebbie and Scar

Marty and Look

Marty and Laurie