Shane Is an Ex-gunslinger - Essay Example

Shane Is an Ex-gunslinger Outline Paragraph I: Shane Is an Ex-gunslinger Paragraph II: The Readers Don’t Know Much About Him Paragraph III: Predicting the Tactics of the Enemy Paragraph IV: Gunfights of Shane Paragraph V: A Man Who Killed Someone Is Marked Eternally Paragraph VI: Conclusion Shane is an ex-gunslinger. Even though the Western classic novel written by Jack Schaefer does not provide a special focus on his past life, his stoic and mysterious manly character indicates that he has been a skilled killer who makes use of a gun as his weapon.

The readers don’t know much about Shane. While all the other characters of the novel have indicated their family name, this ex-gunslinger is only known by his first name, Shane (3), if this really is his name. His identity is something undisclosed. His character is situated like how he used to dress himself up. Distinct to the other men in Wyoming, he always has his black hat on his head, boots on his feet, and a belt. The way he carries himself is something unusual. Shane is described by Marian as “dangerous” (15).

His characterization in the story is someone deep and enigmatic. Though not stated, this is maybe because of how he has become of his past. For someone who can obviously express and predict the strategic tactics of the antagonist named Fletcher, Shane must be someone who has already thought and acted such a likewise manner before, or he must be someone who has involvement in such fights with the Fletcher kind of man before. He has predicted the possibility that the villain, Fletcher, could attack one of the farmers.

He is so right when Ernie Wright got killed. Then, Shane also foresees that Joe would soon be attacked. It is like a manner of thinking how the enemy thinks in which he does very well. Even though the tale has communicated that Shane has a gun. However, he is a man who does not take his gun with him unlike the other farmers. As the novel progresses, it is shown how Fletcher provokes Shane and Joe Starrett, the man who has offered him work in the farm and befriended him. Though Shane and Joe don’t easily lose their temperament, it has come up to a point where Shane has to get into several fights.

His strength is something extraordinary. When Chris, one among the villain’s men, has started a punch-up, or rather a fight, Shane badly hits him and even is able to leave a fracture on Chris’s arm. This encounter has not stopped here yet but in fact, triggers Fletcher to send more men to beat them up. If he is just like any other man and not a gunslinger, Shane could have already died because of the four men who attack him. Furthermore, he gets involved with a fight in a bar with Stark Wilson, the hired gunman by Fletcher.

Stark is able to fire and hit him. However, Shane is able to shoot many times and kill this other gunman. The fight is not just between Shane and Stark for there is Fletcher who is attempting to shoot him while hiding. But for someone who has been a gunslinger, he knows even better. He shoots Fletcher. He also has managed to shoot Fletcher’s brother using his gun. Indeed, he is a good and strong fighter. Shane has exemplified in the novel a man who has been involved before with fights. There is no such guilt felt in the mood of the story.

It is just like Shane is not shocked that he has killed someone. This is for the reason that this is not the first time he has assassinated someone. After he has killed someone, wounded Shane decides to leave that place for the rest of time. Though Bob Starrett, Joe and Marian’s child, tried to stop him, Shane speaks up his beliefs to Bob and explains why he has to go. For Shane, he strongly believes that killing someone causes him to be marked eternally. Therefore, he must leave that place and never go back.

This explanation by Shane only illustrates why he has become an endless traveller. He, at all times, goes to different places in which he keeps his real identity private. This is an indication that in every place he has been into, he has killed someone. He is in a constant journey. This also explains why Shane does not reveal much about himself. Besides, the story has represented how strong Shane is. It also has depicted how skilled he is when it comes to fighting and using of gun. No other man like Shane can be classified as not having much experience with combating and killing someone with the aid of a gun.

For someone like Shane, he therefore is an ex-gunslinger. I call him ex-gunslinger because in the ending part of the novel, Shane has articulated that there is no point of returning back to extermination to taking off someone else’s life. Works Cited Schaefer, Jack . Shane. New York: Houghton Mifflin , 1949. Print.