Westerns

Westerns are a very rich and versatile genre. Narratives within this genre can be defined through their setting, themes, and characters. Although they vary in appearance throughout the genre, they remain constant in how they are defined and what they provide these narratives.

• Setting: The narrative may take place within a desolate location that is far removed from the civilized world. Here, criminals and outlaws are able to work outside the confines of the any legal framework. With this excess of crime, there may be a character who works to establish law and order, no matter the odds they find themselves working against.

• Theme: There are some themes that are used within the Western genre, but they are not always unique to the genre. These include themes of justice, freedom, manifest destiny, race relations, land ownership, and individualism.

• Characters: The stock characters that have been associated with Westerns align perfectly with both the setting and themes. These characters include lawmen, pioneers, frontiersmen, bounty hunters, mountain men, outlaws, gunslingers, indigenous peoples, miners, farmers, ranchers, and cowboys/girls. These stock characters may change in appearance but will serve a similar purpose whenever they appear.