Every Young Woman Needs True Grit
May 31, 2011 4 Comments
A friend of mine had a high school teacher who would give a copy of True Grit to his female students who needed a bit of guidance or confidence. After reading Charles Portis’ book, which inspired the recent Oscar winning film True Grit, I completely understand why.
You don’t see many strong women in western movies, especially in the “spaghetti westerns” of the 1960s that were popular when True Grit was published. Female characters were limited to wives back home, damsels in distress or conniving vixens. This is why the protagonist of the book, Mattie Ross, is so surprising. Young Mattie not only narrates the book, but is the driving force behind it. She is outspoken, clever, and brave in a time where these traits are uncharacteristic of both her gender and her age. Mattie is the only female character in the text, but she certainly makes up the difference.
When Mattie’s father is murdered by a thief named Tom Chaney, she takes his revenge into her own hands. She travels by herself to outsmart her father’s crooked lawyer, get his money back, and convince the toughest US marshal around to help her catch Chaney. Even when confronted by Chaney, Mattie remains headstrong and tries to kill him herself. She has what is called “true grit” in the novel, something like a mix of chutzpah, character and sass.
Every young woman could benefit from having a bit more of Mattie Ross in them, and I am certainly no exception. Many young women, myself included, face an age when they are unsure of themselves, their own voice, and their opinions. Our opinions, if ever stated, rise in pitch at the end of each sentence as if it were a question. I can not imagine Mattie Ross doing that, even if she were written in the 21st century. She’s tough as nails, but still human. Mattie is educated enough to know when someone is taking advantage of her, and she knows her rights. Whether it’s answering a question in class, saying no to unprotected sex, or facing peer pressure, every young woman should channel their inner-Mattie and their own “true grit.”
Whether he meant to or not, Charles Portis created an outstanding, feminist young woman in a time where others were writing John Wayne roles. Young women of any era can learn to take themselves more seriously. Picking up a copy of True Grit, or even renting either of the two film versions, will give them a push in the right direction.
Contact the author here: JennY@morningquickie.com
I agree, young girls need more heroic characters to aspire to. All my childhood role models where strong, confident women. But I’ve also found that in life (as well as in fiction) women who are confident and independent are often frowned upon and life is a lot harder for women who go against the grain. We’re still taught that being soft and compliant is better. Most female characters are either cute and sweet (the good girl) or confident and nasty (the bad girl), there’s rarely any positive confident females. We also need more strong, confident female characters who bond with and support women, showing we can be confident and competitive without going against each other. Not strong characters who are ‘out to get the man’.
*or out to get the job etc
Anne of Green Gables is one of the few great heroines.
My favourites as a child were Lucy in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice (in Wonderland). They had balls!!!