American Heroes John Wayne vs Billy the Kid
John Wayne was viewed as the embodiment of America's spirit. He and the fictitious land he roamed is, says Louis Owens, "The greatest dream of all," (La Puerta 109). The man was always trying to correct some wrong, avenge a moral crime, save a damsel in distress, or capture the "bad guy." He followed his own path, made his own rules, strove for personal justice, and always came out on top (and usually 'got the girl'). Women wanted him; men wanted to be him. In America's John Wayne heyday, there was not a little boy who didn't dream of riding the open range as "The Duke," on a seemingly divine mission full of passion, honor and courage. Regardless of Owens' opinionated view of the incredulity of John Wayne's myth, "It [John Wayne's West] is a place where, like F. Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby, the white man sloughs off old names an
Etilain, Richard. "Billy the Kid: Thunder in the West." La Puerta. Second Edition. Eds. Wanda Martin, et al. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1999. 36-51. True, there are many similarities between a myth such as John Wayne's and Billy the Kid's. They both had their own personal code of ethics, a 'black and white' view of what was acceptable and what deemed punishment and judgement. Both traveled alone: even when situation bound them to a group of others, they still seemed to carry their own agenda. Billy the Kid is a very different American legend. In Richard Etulain's historic/mythic account of Billy the Kid's life, he is likened to, "Robin Hood stealing from the rich to help the poor, as a lone individual holding out against the corrupt Santa Fe Ring, Billy was inducted early on into the pantheon of Wild West heroes." (36). This is
Some common words found in the essay are:
Billy Kid, John Wayne, La Puerta, Billy Kid's, American West, Wild West, Fitzgerald's Gatsby, Robin Hood, Code West, Wayne American, john wayne, billy kid, john wayne's, la puerta, al dubuque ia, et al, martin et, wanda martin, eds wanda, edition eds, puerta edition, dubuque ia kendall/hunt, et al dubuque, martin et al, wanda martin et,
Approximate Word count = 566
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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