Key points about the novel True Grit

Overview Character Plot Theme Setting

Title True Grit = determination How does the title link with the story?

Main character 1: Mattie independent determined bitter Give examples to support each of the points above

Main character 2: Reuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn pitiless/cold-hearted lonely Give examples to support each of the points above

Minor characters La Boeuf: law abiding Lucky Ned Pepper: clever criminal Tom Chaney: evil

Problem Mattie has to avenge her father’s death. In what ways will this be a difficult task?

Lessons learned Revenge cannot be achieved without personal sacrifice. Explain this statement with an example from the story.

True Grit by Charles Portis Important themes

If a person wants to get revenge, they must take matters into their own hands. Revenge is a matter of honour. Revenge In order to get revenge, a person sometimes has to suffer themselves.

Gender For Mattie, gender is no barrier to achieving revenge. True Grit is a male-dominated world. Gender Many of the male characters show sexist attitudes towards women.

True Grit by Charles Portis Setting

Setting of ‘True Grit’ The story of ‘True Grit’ takes place in 1875 in the state of Arkansas, USA and the Native American territory known as the Choctaw Nation. It is quite a lawless society - there is no police force in the Choctaw Nation, but men known as marshals who try to capture bandits. Life is cheap in the world of ‘True Grit’. There are many deaths throughout the novel. Capital punishment is used to deal with criminals. The novel opens with three men being hanged publicly at Fort Smith.

Setting of ‘True Grit’ One value that is very important to Mattie is her religious faith. She uses her religion in order to cope with the lawless society in which she lives. In the world of ‘True Grit’, women are treated differently to men. For example, Mattie has to fight to be allowed travel to the Choctaw Nation with Rooster and La Boeuf. La Boeuf makes sexist comments towards Mattie. Some groups in society experience discrimination, in particular the Native American population. For example, Mattie says as she witnesses the hanging at Fort Smith ‘If you are like me you will probably think of Indians as heathens’.