Hamlet. Carrie. The Wrath of Khan. Mean Girls. The Avengers. Some of the greatest works of literature slash film are revenge narratives—just like True Grit. For Mattie Ross, revenge is a matter of honor and personal responsibility. Avenging her father's death personally is, for her, the only legitimate course of action—and unlike some other heroes (coughHamletcough), she doesn't spend a lot of time agonizing over it. The real agony comes later, when she loses her left arm—but even then, there's no sign that she regrets her choices. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.
Questions About Revenge
- Do you think Mattie is vengeful in other areas of her life? Or just when something is really serious?
- Is the desire for revenge healthy in general? Is it healthy for Mattie? Is there always some amount of self-sacrifice that goes along with revenge, or can somebody get revenge without hurting themselves in the process?
- Have you ever desired vengeance? Have you ever gotten it?
- If Mattie hadn't found Tom Chaney, would she have spent the rest of her life searching for him? How might not finding Chaney have altered her life path? Or would it have?