The Study Of Cowboy Image In Wister’s The Virginian

Owen Wister is one of the most important Western literature novelists in the19thcentury who is renowned as the “father”of American cowboy literature. As one openingmasterpiece, unlike the previous pulp cowboy novels, The Virginian successfully shapedan unprecedentedly aristocratic cowboy image. The Virginian set a classic Westerncowboy image by incorporating different elements together. Wister takes the advantageof then most popular individualistic adventure theme, demonstrating a brand newmanliness where the female soft culture enjoys a mass popularity. Wister assumes heshows the true Western spirit in his book in which he emphasizes the American West isa highly mixed land of different culture. In particular, both Eastern and Western culturehave their advantages when being compared with one another. Westerners who maketheir living in the open free land become increasingly vigorous due to absorbing urbanculture. The so called civilized Easterners are influenced by Westerners as well. Thisthesis mainly focuses on the two different culture embodied by West and East and maincharacters’ complex interaction with one another, trying to expound a new Americancivilization demonstrated by the cowboy Virginian in Wister’s book. It intends to showthe cultural conflict between East and West.This thesis consists of four parts. The introduction part shows Wister’s majorworks; the important deeds concerned the author; the literature review on The Virginian.Chapter one mainly analyzes individualism and the omnipresent Western spirit in thebook. Chapter two focuses on the new cowboy image represented by the Virginian andthe way he illustrates the new Western civilization. Chapter three analyzes the culturalconflict between East and West; the birth of American new civilization. Chapter fourfocuses on the racism and women’s contribution towards the Western development inWister’s depicted new Western civilization. This thesis also expounds Wister’s writingintention and his call for new American civilization.