The Western genre is as beautiful as it is complex. The vastness of the wilderness, the courage of its people, the sunset that blankets the horizon. People have tried to define it in a simple sentence, don't get me wrong, but the statement "Takes place West of the Mississippi" is not even scratching the surface of the dusty trail.
Westerns draw people of all ages in and it captivates their emotions and imaginations. It makes us want to watch more western movies and TV shows, read western stories and poems, hell we even want to get cowboy hats and boots to look the part. And this is not just an American fascination. The Western has taken over the world. From spaghetti westerns to reenactors in Germany, the old west takes its place in everyone's mind in some form or fashion. I think my favorite memory was when I saw someone walk into a Sheplers Western clothes store wearing baggy, droopy pants, hat backwards and a insane clown posse shirt on. Now this is not a judgment of what this guy was wearing but it didn't necessarily line up with the store itself. Now he walked around the store looking at cowboy hats, jeans, boots and button up shirts. What he ended up buying was the full outfit and he would surely fit in at a rodeo. I don't know what his reasons were to buying those clothes but I definitely came up with a few in my head. Had he seen a Western recently and something about that culture and what they wore struck a chord? Did he meet some lady who wanted to go line dancing with him? Whatever the story was he easily spent two hundred dollars on western clothes.
But why? Why do we want to immerse ourselves in this genre? A lot of answers I have seen over the years is because it is a sense of freedom. To some extent I agree with that but what makes a great story according to Elmer Kelton was when characters have to deal with change. Whether they are open to it or dead set against it, a story can really take charge with those types of tropes. So in a lot of stories the freedom that is associated with the west is being challenged in some form or fashion. I think the idea of a simpler time is appealing for all, especially in a world that is dominated by technology. We all want to be riding out on God's open prairie, watching the sun dip down over the mountains. The atmosphere of an old west town is a big one for me with the false front buildings and dusty saloons.
I think we can all have our things that we love about the western but I think the reason why the genre is able to bring us all in is due to the fact that it cannot be defined. You can have as many subgenres within the Western that literally anything could take place. Drama, comedy, horror, sci fi, coming of age, action, you name it and it has been done in the Western.
I believe with all of those subgenres another important thing in westerns is that we are able to see ourselves in the characters. We all strive to make the best of our lives but run up against hard challenges that make us have to dig deep into ourselves to keep going. We all have bullies in our lives that we want to stand up to and nothing shows that better than a Western. For that I am not talking about shooting it out with a bully but instead finding the courage to stand your ground and fight for what is right. Westerns can also tackle social issues that we face today and deliver stories that are entertaining but thought provoking as well regarding change and standing up for your fellow neighbor. Another theme that westerns do so well is dealing with loss. This might be losing land, a business or someone. I think especially when it comes to losing someone, westerns can really speak to that. The biggest theme that probably covers the most for westerns is the human experience. Showing triumphs, tragedies and the cost of both.
A statement that has been done to death is that the Western is dead. As long as people crave stories that reflect the human experience, the Western will never be dead. When there is a resurgence for the genre, young and old are always trying to get their hands on more. When the video games Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 came out, I heard from many people that they wanted to read stories in the west and watch more western movies. Then another resurgence came with TV westerns such as Hell on Wheels, Longmire, Justified and Yellowstone. These are not really bending the genre to fit a lot of different likes for people but are more closer to straight up westerns with deep, profound stories. The interest in westerns with these shows has been off the charts and has really shown how hungry people are for more.
When ever I have heard that the Western is dead, I always imagined it in the lens of a story. The Western genre was shot, ran off a cliff and thought it be dead by the villain. Only to reappear later in the story not only alive but thriving. An epic return that is filled with a classic western music score.
I hope this is a little encouraging for all who write westerns. We have an important role to keep the west alive by writing new stories but to also not forget those who came before us. I think reading stories from long ago not only helps keep our minds enriched with the west but to keep stories from authors who are long gone, alive. I think when we come across anyone looking for a new to them author, recommending the famous and not so well known authors is a must. For that I would recommend reading "The Gallows At Graneros" by Lewis B. Patten.
Well that is the September's"A Western Perspective." Thank you all for what you do to keep the Western thriving and I hope you all have a great week. Until next time, I will see you all down the trail ðŸ¤
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