True Grit: Book Vs. Film

“True Grit” is about a fourteen year old girl trying to bring justice to the man who killed her father. She hires a sheriff named Rooster to help her. Through characterization, setting, and law enforcement, Charles Portis in “True Grit” sets an accurate portrayal of the time period know as the old west to create a more riveting story.

My uncle promised he would buy me a real coconut if only I could say it right in English. I had not savored real coconut water in what seemed like years. Apparently, here in Yakima you could not simply stroll to the beach and grab one like in my hometown. In fact, there was no beach. But I had arrived to the United States only a week ago and I was already enrolled in kindergarten. I had to learn the language no matter what it took, so I studied. I gritted my teeth and sat down with a book and a mug-full of determination. After a whole lot of crying, learning, failing and more learning, I could finally not only say the word, but I was able to demand my coconut all in English. I accepted the challenge, set my focus on the goal, and did not stop until I succeeded. Many people say I am stubborn, and perhaps I am, but that coconut was the best delicacy I have ever enjoyed. Therefore, it is certain that it is not intelligence or luck but perseverance and grit that yields success and although my story is nothing like the compelling tale Charles Portis describes in his novel True Grit, they both express the true meaning of grit. In this novel, fourteen year old Mattie Ross and marshal Rooster Cogburn go on a life changing quest to find Tom Chaney, the murderer of Mattie’s father. The meaning of true grit is explored through Mattie Ross’s revenge seeking journey. Essentially, true grit refers to being strong-minded, determined, and unafraid of confronting difficult situations.

“People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood.” (Portis 11) And many people still do not imagine that a story like that is even close to being realistic. Even though, True Grit is fictional; it seemed real as the reader saw Mattie Ross came of age. Coming of age is the transition from youth to adulthood. Throughout the novel, True Grit, the protagonist, Mattie Ross, develops courage, common sense, and bravery as she comes of age from her experience of hunting down the man who murdered her father. The fourteen-year-old faced many challenges that marked the growth of her maturity.

Throughout history, many authors have created award-winning novels which have been deemed worthy for a film adaptation. With a variety of these adaptations, the film directors attempt to capture the messages that were portrayed in the book and faithfully develop each of the book’s characters. Moreover, two certain books which were favored for their loving characters and encouraging themes are True Grit by Charles Portis and The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. While the 1968 western novel by Portis follows a young girl, who goes on an adventure in pursuit of avenging her father’s death, the 1967 novel by Hinton, categorized as young adult fiction, encompasses the life of a young boy and his misadventures living in a small town as a “greaser.”

One literary element the author uses is setting. True Grit takes place in the Wild West. The Wild West setting is known to be a place with a significant amount of crime and drama, and Fort Smith is an example of a Wild West location. Fort Smith was surely not a place for an average 14-year-old girl. Even Mattie Rosses Lawyer said this in the book. “Fort Smith is no place for a young girl alone, not even a ‘Mattie’.” (Portis 78). Living in a dangerous city like Fort Smith may be impossible for an average 14 year old girl, but not for Mattie. Mattie Ross proves him wrong and survives the dangerous place. She built up her strength and level of maturity in the town. She sold horses for $325, watched three people get hanged to death, lived with a random old lady and hired a Marshal, that she had never met in her life, to help her kill Tom Chaney. Charles Portis uses the setting of the story to show us the struggles and hardships Mattie had to go through in Fort Smith. He portrayed that a small girl that can live in a town like Fort Smith is no match for evil bandits and murderers.

Who knew that someone at just 12 years of age would be the definition of true grit. "Grit is knowing who you are and where you are headed, moving determinedly forward with eyes fixed on the mark, rather than the obstacles that lie in wait."-Christine Bisch. Regino V. Soto, lost his mother and father at this young age, he then took off into the wilderness on his own, lost and confused. Eventually he made up his mind to forge ahead.He didn't have enough money for many things in life, as he was working for pennies, prior.  It took a toll on him a few years later when he started his family and he couldn't afford simple things like medicine to save his baby daughter's life.   My grandfather was a man who was determined to have a better life and didn't let up regardless of how tough things got. This isn't what Tom Chaney displays, in the novel, True Grit, by Charles Portis.  Rooster Cogburn and also Mattie Ross, had what my grandfather had, grit.  Mattie Ross's innocent father was killed just after the Civil War in Arkansas and this 14 year old girl wants to see the culprit, Tom Chaney face consequences. Rooster Cogburn didn't let the obstacles get in his way of capturing the coward,Tom Chaney.

Can there be some good in villains even though they are contrary to heroes? In the book “True Grit,” there are two kinds of villains. Ones with a code of conduct, and ones that just do as they please. It is thought that all thieves and bandits are considered purely evil, some villains like Lucky Ned Pepper; a character in the book “True Grit,” and Leonard Snart from the TV show, The Flash, have specific rules they go by that could suggest otherwise.

A Journey in Courage: Characters of True Grit Very few people have “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” (Merriam-Webster). Charles Portis uses this concept of grit to create interesting characters that influence events his novel True Grit. Mattie Ross, LaBeouf, and Rooster Cogburn are a few characters that display true courage through their actions and dialogue. Mattie’s assertive and stubborn personality contribute to her grit, which creates new challenges she overcomes. In the novel, she discusses debatable ideas with other characters and appears convincing through her confidence and certainty.

The book and movie The Crucible show many differences as well as many similarities. The main setting and theme in the book stays the same throughout the film, but there are some drastic changes that impact the story . Some characters act the same like Reverend Parris who is just as greedy as in the book as in the movie. Another similarity is when Mary Warren tries to convince the court that Abigail was lying, by pretending to see a yellow bird. A difference between the book and the movie was in act II when elizabeth and john were eating dinner, Elizabeth forgets the cider and has to be reminded to pour it, John asks Elizabeth if she is troubled.

The themes of True Grit that stood out the most to me were friendship, vengeance, and justice. The whole story is about Mattie going to avenge her father’s death and find Tom Chaney, who murdered her father. In the end Mattie gets takes a shot at Tom, which doesn't kill him. After she did Mattie fell into a pit right behind her. Later on Rooster kills Tom then came into the cave and saves Mattie from the dangers of the ditch. I then began to realize that

"True Grit” is about a fourteen-year-old girl trying to bring justice to the man who killed her father. She hires a sheriff named Rooster to help her. Through characterization, setting, and law enforcement, Charles Portis in “True Grit” sets an accurate portrayal of the time period known as the old west to create a more riveting story.

Is the desire for revenge a basic component of human nature? The highly awarded movie The Revenant is an epic story of Hugh Glass’s mission to seek revenge on those who had wronged him. The movie teaches many important life lessons, but they differ significantly in comparison to the book it's based on. Not only does the story teach important lessons, it is a notable legend in American folklore. The motion picture rendition of Michael Punke’s book The Revenant changes the meaning of the book because despite the similarities in the characters and the initial storyline the ending scene redefines the book.

In a report published by UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) it states that there are around 300,000 child soldiers, participating in over 30 different conflicts worldwide. Of these 300,000, 120,000 are serving in different countries in Africa. One of the countries where this issue has been extremely prevalent is Sierra Leone, where child soldiers made up a significant part of the armed forces during its 11-year civil war, with 10,000 out of about 50,000 soldiers being children. Accounts of child soldiers in Sierra Leone have been made, with both the book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier and the movie Ezra telling the story of a Sierra Leonean child soldier. Even though both the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah and the movie Ezra by Newton Aduaka are important works, A Long Way Gone is more important to help people think critically and understand important aspects of the world around them.

One time when I was required to have grit was when I was reading Les Misérables. I wanted to end it the day I began. The novel starts off with a lengthy backstory on Monseigneur Bienvenu, a bishop who helps the main character early on and disappears from the story afterwards. While I now look back on this part with fondness, this was the first old novel I had read, and seventh grade me was not accustomed to the pacing. If it had not been recommended to me by a friend, fellow pupil Annika Sutter, there is a very high chance I would have stopped reading before this part was over. While this part helps you understands Bienvenu’s decisions, not all parts were as helpful. Due to there being no editor, it has a plentiful of exhausting parts where

Grit is often used to view how successful a person will be because of their willingness to not quit on a task. A major supporter of grit is Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth had tested cadets of West Point Academy as they experience the “Beast”. The “Beast” is the first