The Searchers

A detailed Summary of The Searchers

The Searchers, filmed in 1956, is considered to be a true masterpiece of American filmmaking. Filled with beautiful images of Monument Valley, its secluded open spaces capture the beauty and the isolating danger of the frontier. This movie tells the emotionally compelling story of not only a revengeful man in search of his kidnapped nieces but also of his inner battle and discovery of his true identity. The main character of this movie, Ethan Edwards, is a person who does not belong anywhere, the outsider, a man doomed to eternally wander in the West. As the story unfolds, the thin line between obsession and revenge become totally indistinct. In the beginning it appears that Ethan's honor drives him to seek revenge for the massacre of his kin, but as time passes his motives for finding his niece completely change when he finds out Debbie has become a squaw and has been tainted by the blood of the Commanches. Ethan is extremely racist, a characteristic that is brought about by his presumed understanding of the difference between Commanche and "white." In Ethan's mind, the Commanche are savage and uncivilized while the white race is undoubtedly superior in all aspects. This confusion concerning

Ethan has an understanding of the differences that constitute being "white"

"whiteness" affects his behavior which becomes clearly evident as his actions seem more aligned with savageness than civilization as the movie progresses.

Ethan's racist mindset and his confusion concerning "whiteness" affect his decision-making and daily interactions. The first example of this occurs in the beginning when Ethan returns to the Edwards' home for the first time since the civil war ended just three years prior. As the family gathers together for dinner, Martin, Aaron's adopted son who is one-eighth Cherokee, arrives a little late and greets Uncle Ethan with great enthusiasm. In return, Martin is met with contempt as Ethan acknowledges him as an impostor. Ethan treats him in an intolerant and insulting manner because of his Indian blood. With disgust, Ethan tells Marty that "[he] could mistake [him] for a half breed." Another incident occurs between Marty and Ethan when they first begin their search. Marty calls Ethan "uncle," a close kinship endearing term which Ethan harshly rejects. He tells Marty to not call him Uncle because "[he] ain't [his] Uncle...Don't need to call [him] sir either, or Grandpa...name's Ethan." These are perfect examples in which Ethan is so heartless that he does not accept a member of his family because of his prejudice against the Indians. His prejudice also leads him to perform heartless uncalled for acts such as to kill many Buffaloes so the Commanche will not have enough to eat in the winter, and the scalping of Scar. In his opinion, this is the only vengeful alternative left to him. The scalping is the single most savage act in the film, a senseless atrocity worse than any other committed by the Indians. It is for acts similar to these when we wonder which race Ethan really belongs to.

Perhaps the most significant act of prejudice occurs when Ethan's racist mindset coerces him to toil over whether or not he should save Debbie or kill her for becoming Squaw. Ethan is wounded during the first attempt in which he tries to rescue Debbie. War parties of the Commanches attack from the ridge and surround them alongside the riverbank. Their attempts to rescue or kill Debbie ultimately fail, as she remains with the Indians as they flee. In speaking with Debbie they find that the Indian blood has corrupted her, and she now refers to the Commanche as "her people." Since Ethan is seriously wounded by the arrow, he begins to compose his last will and testament. Realizing what has become of Debbie, Ethan disowns her as his blood kin and bequeaths all of his property and belongings to Marty, his heir. He uses such harsh words to describe a little girl that previously he had so much love for. During the second rescue att

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jane Edwards, Noticing Ethan, Ironically Ethan, Commanches Ethan, Native Americans, Buffaloes Commanche, Ethan Edwards, Monument Valley, Uncle Ethan, Wild West, racist mindset, ethan's racist mindset, ethan acknowledges, eyes wander, ethan's racist, white skin, seek revenge, true identity, blood kin, confusion concerning whiteness, civil war, home civil war, home civil,

Approximate Word count = 1869
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies