Assignment task:
Themes are the central, recurring subjects of a novel. As characters grapple with a situation such as racism, class, or unrequited love, profound questions will be raised in the reader's mind about human life, social pressures, and societal expectations. Classic themes include intellectual freedom versus censorship, the relationship between one's personal moral code and larger political justice, and spiritual faith versus rational considerations. A novel often reconsiders age-old debates by presenting them in new contexts or from new points of view.
Discussion:
Because novels can be interpreted in different ways, choose one of the following three categories and answer the questions to explore a specific interpretation:
1. Revenge
Revenge, especially for the murder of one's father, has been a frequent theme in literature. How is this theme treated in True Grit? Is there anything in the novel that presents an alternative to Mattie's view of the subject?
2. Attitudes toward others
Early in the novel, Mattie observes that, "There is no knowing what is in a man's heart," but her judgments about other people, many of which are negative, seem to contradict this insight. Do the events of the novel tend to reinforce her assumptions about others? Does Portis want us to find her attitudes off-putting and smug?
3. Courage and character
At the beginning of the book, Mattie recalls the sight of her father on horseback and says, "He might have been a gallant knight of old." In the same paragraph she describes Tom Chaney as "trash." Do the events of the novel sustain her romanticized view, or do they support a more nuanced approach to human nature?