Entry 6? (chapter 11)

Option 1
Usually, the central plot of the western film is the simple goal of maintaining law and order on the frontier. It is normally rooted in conflicts of virtue vs. evil, white hat vs. black hat, settlers vs. Native Americans, civilization vs. wilderness, or lawman vs. gunfighter. Specific settings normally include but not limited to isolated forts, ranch houses, a saloon, a jail, or a small town street. Other iconic elements include the hanging tree (a dead giveaway), stetson hats, spurs, colt .45's, bandannas, stagecoaches, cattle drives, prostitutes, and most commonly, the horse ("faithful steed".) Dime store novels and comics were things the western was based on. Oh sure, the characters could have been real. They were, however, blown way out of proportion and made larger than life. People needed a larger than life hero or anti-hero to believe in. Native Americans were often portrayed as savage Indians. It was a popular assumption. Assumptions not really based on fact. Then again, was there any part of the western that really was fact?