

However, by the end, he changes his mind in an important way. What is Ethan's change of heart in the film?Įthan is a rather stubborn and immovable character throughout the film. Ethan, however, remains outside, and plans to keep moving, a restless soul who will never settle down. With Debbie returned to the family home, the film reaches its conclusion, and everyone walks towards the safety of the house.

Once she is returned home, Ford shoots an image similar to this opening image, as Laurie and the Jorgensens greet Ethan and Marty as they bring Debbie home. This image represents the fact that the family is opening its door to the wildness of the American West.

The opening of the film shows the door to the Edwards family home being opened, as Ethan rides in from the desert to greet his family after years away. How does Ford use the doorway to both introduce and close the story on Ethan? This detail creates a tension between the two men, and shows that Ethan is a racist when it comes to thinking about and accepting Native Americans. Even so, Ethan is exceedingly prejudiced against Native Americans, and he knows that Marty is 1/8th Cherokee, and so will not accept him as a nephew. Why is Ethan opposed to Martin calling him "uncle?"Įthan rescued Marty when he was a young boy and brought him to live with the Edward family.

This shows Ethan's stubbornness, his loyalty to the Confederate cause, and his refusal to go along with something just because everyone else is doing it. The fact that Ethan still has his saber is a statement that he has not nor will he surrender and he continues to believe in the ideals of the Confederacy after the war is over. What does Ethan giving his saber to his nephew imply?Īfter the Confederacy was defeated in the Civil War, the Southern soldiers turned in their sabers as a sign of surrender.
