True grit is a novel that was first published in 1968. It is written by Charles Portis. He served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War and has worked as a reporter for the New York Herald – Tribune, and was also its London bureau chief. He is also the author of four other novels: Norwood, Masters of Atlantis, The Dog of the South and Gringos.
True Grit is an adventure story about a fourteen year old girl named Mattie Ross’s seek of revenge for her deceased father which was shot in cold blood by the villain; Tom Chaney. To fulfill her need for vengeance she has to seek out the help of two men. A well-known Bounty Hunter/ Marshal named Rooster Cogburn, and a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf. The story takes the three of them out on a dangerous journey through the cruel and unforgiving nature of the Wild West in search for Chaney, facing not only the challenges of brutal wilderness, but also the challenge of their relationships. Throughout the story, problems arise when the three highly different personalities clash together, but in the relation of two of them, Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn one can see a clear development as the story progress. This essay is going to examine how the two of them manage to go from bitter partners to somehow becoming very attached to each other.
Mattie Ross:
The first impression one get from Mattie Ross is that she is a very independent young girl. This comes quite clear as she leaves her family at home to take care of business all on her own. She has taken care of her family for a long time, handling their financial business as well as other personal matters. The death of her father makes her in charge of everything that goes on at home and forces her to be even more the mature one in the family. This is a task that suits her well. Mattie also comes off as an idealist. She is quite a perfectionist and wants things to be done nice and clean. She believes in the old