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. .