Mattie's Grit - True Grit I

"I got up, my feet freezing, and arranged Papa's blankets and slicker over me as makeshift covers. Then I slept alright" (Portis 30).

Although Mattie is the one searching for a man with "true grit," it seems as if Portis has made her the character who truly has grit. Part of what makes her character so attractive is her lack of complaints toward things a girl would normally complain about, her resilience and unembellished mannerisms. If Portis had not giver her these qualities, the story whose have much less affect.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Golden Memories - True Grit II

"I thought to ask him about the other gold piece, then checked myself, afraid he might force me to give over the one I had recovered" (Portis 198).

Mattie puts a large emphasis on the gold pieces and their meaning to her; she is ecstatic when they recover the first piece, and is constantly thinking about finding the second. It seems as if Portis uses them as a symbol of a piece of her father that Mattie needs to win back from Chaney; they are also symbolic in that they help lead her to avenge her father's death.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Murderous Quantrill - True Grit III

"'I was told in Fort Smith that you rode with Quantrill and that border gang. . .I heard they murdered women and children'" (Portis 158).

The Civil War was a time of division in the Nation. When Portis references Captain Quantrill, he is referencing a man who was "notorious for being one of the most vicious butchers in the Civil War" (Sanders). Portis does this for many reasons, one of which may be to add some historical relevance to his fictional novel. Another reason could be to display Rooster in a different light, as he does not come across as a considerably dangerous or evil person; but when meeting one of Quantrill's men, most people would expect a scary man. Portis is making a statement about what war can do to a person, and how they can recover from that change.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Sanders, Stuart W. "America's Civil War: Guerrilla Leader William Clarke Quantrill's Last Raid in Kentucky." Editorial. America's Civil War Mar. 1999. History Net: Where History Comes Alive - World & US History Online. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. .

Drinking Silly - True Grit IV

"He drank even as he rode, which looked difficult. I cannot say it slowed him down any but it did make him look silly. Why do people wish to be silly?" (Portis 171).

Throughout the entire novel, Mattie seems to comprehend things in a very level-headed way; she approaches most things quite logically and does not tend to make a big deal out of issues like danger or race. But when it comes to drink, Portis has Mattie express an absolute disgust and incomprehension as to why people do it, especially since her father was shot in a drunken disagreement. Portis may be using Mattie's story and how drink affects it by always leading to mischief to portray his own feelings about the substance.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Superstitious Claptrap - True Grit V

"Some preachers will say, well, that is superstitious 'claptrap.' My answer is this: Preacher, go to your Bible and read Luke 8:26-33" (Portis 32).

From early in the novel, Mattie's strong religion can be seen. Portis probably gave Mattie this characteristic for many reasons: it puts her in the time period; it accounts for her strong opinions about alcohol and how criminals should be treated; and Portis may even be using Mattie's faith as a vessel for his own personal faith and moral standings, as recalling one of the only Bible verses that discusses animals being possessed by demons takes some Biblical knowledge, especially in the days before computer searches would bring up that exact verse. Although the verse itself is discussing swine, not cats, Mattie still gets her point across, and is perceived as being Biblically learned (Luke).

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Luke. King James Version. Biblical Proportions, 2004-2005. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. .

Pursue the Wicked - True Grit VI

"'The wicked flee when none pursueth'" (Portis 17)

Portis again uses his Biblical knowledge to quote Proverbs 28:1; using this verse alone gives Mattie's anger a controlled feeling, contributing to the characteristic of her willpower. In this quote, Mattie is referring to a fleeing Tom Chaney, fleeing after shooting Mattie's father; although there were many there to witness the shooting not a single one thought to pursue Chaney. The rest of the statement "but the righteous are as bold as a lion" has been left out (Proverbs). Although the entirety of the statement was not said, it seems to encapsulate the boldness in Mattie's pursuit of Chaney perfectly.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Proverbs. King James Version. Biblical Proportions, 2004-2005. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. .

A Desperate Band - True Grit VII

"He and his desperate band killed a fireman and an express clerk on the Katy Flyer last night" (Portis 159).

Portis puts a lot of work into building the reputation of Lucky Ned Pepper; Lucky Ned comes across as the worst and most well-known criminal in all the Wild West, someone to be feared for his ruthless ways. Portis probably puts this much emphasis on Lucky Ned's character to build an extreme reputation, as well as a sort of foreshadowing for what to expect when Mattie finally meets the man in the climax of the story.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Lucky Ned - True Grit VIII

"'I saw Billy was dead when he was struck. I thought Haze might have made it. He was tough as boot leather. I am sorry for him. . .[Billy] should never have been there. There was nothing I could do for him" (Portis 188).

After Portis has spent a good amount of time establishing Lucky Ned's reputation in readers' minds, he suddenly tears that reputation down when Mattie meets Lucky Ned and has a conversation with him. From his reputation, one would expect Lucky Ned to be harsh and easily angered, not generally kind and sympathetic toward others. Portis may be using Lucky Ned to explore reputations and how they can often give a wrong impression of a person; although Lucky Ned is white, Portis's explorations with reputation are very similar to his explorations with race and the reputation a race has.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Wild Comanches - True Grit IX

"I will own I was somewhat afraid of them, although they were not, as you may imagine, wild Comanches with painted faces and outlandish garb but rather civilized Creeks and Cherokees and Choctaws. . .I though them on the cheerful side as they nodded and spoke greetings" (Portis 109).

The 1960's was on of the most pivotal times in the Civil Rights movement, with "numerous marches, rallies, strikes, riots, and violent confrontations with the police," as well as the assassinations of many of the leaders of these events ("Psychedelic"); yet in his novel, Portis generally uses white characters, except for the Native Americans Mattie meets in Indian Country, the black stable boy, and a few hispanic criminals.

When Portis does use "colored" characters, their race is a very understated facet of their character: after Mattie introduces the stable as being a "Negro," she goes on the converse with him the way one would converse with any stable boy; after the criminals are introduced using their race, they are spoken of as of any other criminal. Although Mattie is initially quite racist toward Indians, she soon realizes that they are just people with different colored skin, and states that fact in a very subdued way. Portis may be using race and the subtle way he approaches it to make a statement about how little it truly matters whether one's skin is black, red, yellow, or white. Although race can seem like something worthy of mass marches, and riots, Portis believes that at some point most people should come to realize that a person is a person no matter what color their skin.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

"Psychedelic 60s: The Civil Rights Movement." University of Virginia Library. University of Virgina, 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. .

Running the River - True Grit X

"We hit the river running . . . I drew up my legs behind me and held to the saddle horn and gave Blackie his head with loose reins. I was considerably splashed" (Portis 107).

The search for women's rights extends through much of history, but in the 1960's, gender equality became a prominent issue, with things like the Equal Pay Act being passed by Congress (Fuentes). When Charles Portis chose to make Mattie's character a fourteen year old girl, he was likely making a statement on how the difference between male and female can be less than it is perceived to be; Mattie Ross is extremely stubborn and tough, both of which used to generally be thought of as male characteristics. Portis also uses Mattie's inner thoughts as a way to show how logical and reasonable a woman can be.

Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True Grit. New York, NY: Overlook, 2010. Print.

Fuentes, Sonia Pressman. "Keynote Address by Sonia Pressman Fuentes." 12 Oct. 2001. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. .