The Ox-Bow Incident: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Ox-Bow Incident: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complex interpersonal dynamics and moral dilemmas faced by a group of individuals in the American West during a time of lawlessness. Central to the narrative are Gil Carter, a disillusioned ranch hand whose personal grievances overshadow the gravity of the situation, and Art Croft, his loyal friend who participates in the posse despite sustaining an injury. Other pivotal figures include Rose Mapen, the object of Gil's affection, whose choices deeply impact his emotional state, and Canby, the saloonkeeper whose role reflects the societal tensions of the community.
The analysis also highlights characters like Davies, the storekeeper who attempts to halt the wrongful execution of three innocent men, illustrating the moral conflicts within the mob mentality. Osgood, the Baptist minister, and Sheriff Risley represent the struggle against mob justice, while characters like Farnley and Kinkaid embody the reckless impulsivity that drives the lynching. The tragic outcomes, including the suicides of Gerald Tetley and his father, reveal the devastating consequences of the community's collective actions. This exploration of characters not only provides insight into their motivations but also prompts reflection on themes of justice, guilt, and the impact of societal pressures.
The Ox-Bow Incident: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Walter Van Tilburg Clark
First published: 1940
Genre: Novel
Locale: Nevada
Plot: Regional
Time: 1885
Gil Carter, a wandering ranch hand who drifts into Bridger's Wells looking for a girl. When she returns to the town, after having reportedly gone to San Francisco with a husband, Gil is furious. He joins a posse, but thinks more of his disappointment in love than of the hanging of three innocent men.
Art Croft, Gil's friend and companion. Though wounded by mistake by a stage driver, he goes on with the posse in search of rustlers.
Rose Mapen, the girl Gil loves and who disappoints him by marrying another man while gone from Bridger's Wells.
Canby, the saloonkeeper at Bridger's Wells.
Farnley, a cowboy who assists in hanging the three innocent men. When one of them, Donald Martin, dies too slowly in the hangman's noose, Farnley shoots him.
Kinkaid, Farnley's friend, supposedly killed by rustlers. He turns up alive after three innocent men have been hanged for his murder.
Davies, a storekeeper in the town. He tries to prevent the hanging of innocent men and fails. He takes a ring and a farewell letter to Martin's wife and two children. After the lynching, he comes to believe, erroneously, that the fault was his.
Osgood, a Baptist minister. He tries to help Davies prevent mob action.
Joyce, a young cowboy who goes with Croft to ask Judge Tyler to swear in the posse.
Judge Tyler, the local magistrate. He tries to prevent mob action but ironically stimulates it.
Sheriff Risley, whose absence from town allows the mob to act. He returns just too late. He refuses to arrest the members of the posse, claiming lack of evidence.
Mapes, the sheriff's swaggering deputy, who leads the posse he illegally deputizes.
Jenny Grier, called Ma, keeper of a boardinghouse. She helps hang the supposed rustlers and murderers.
Tetley, a rancher. He forces his son to participate in the mob's precipitate action. After his son commits suicide, he does, too.
Gerald Tetley, an emotional young man. Horrified by having to participate in the mob killings, he commits suicide.
Donald Martin, a rancher. Wrongly accused of being a rustler, he is hanged unlawfully by the mob.
AMexican, Martin's rider, also hanged by the mob.
An Old Man, Martin's simpleminded worker, the mob's third victim.
Drew, a rancher. He failed to hand Martin a bill of sale for cattle purchased, thus contributing to the man's death.