The Way West: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Way West: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate dynamics of a wagon train journey to Oregon, exploring the motivations and traits of key characters who navigate the challenges of frontier life. At the forefront is Lije Evans, a strong and principled leader, whose commitment to his family's future and the expansion of the United States shapes his sense of responsibility. His wife, Rebecca Evans, emerges as a resilient figure, balancing her own fears with her desire to support her family and the weaker members of the group. Their son, Brownie, undergoes a significant transformation from an insecure adolescent to a confident young man ready to take on adult responsibilities.
The narrative also introduces Dick Summers, a seasoned mountain man whose knowledge proves essential for the pioneers, contrasting with characters like Henry McBee, whose opportunistic nature and unscrupulous actions create tension within the group. Mercy McBee, a young woman caught in a moral dilemma, highlights themes of innocence and the consequences of choices. Additional characters, such as the sickly Judith Fairman and the ambitious Tadlock, further illustrate the varied motivations and challenges that each member faces on their arduous journey. This exploration of character dynamics not only sheds light on individual struggles and growth but also reflects broader themes of community, leadership, and the harsh realities of westward expansion.
The Way West: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: A. B. Guthrie, Jr.
First published: 1949
Genre: Novel
Locale: Independence, Missouri, and the overland trail to Oregon
Plot: Historical realism
Time: 1845
Lije Evans, the thirty-five-year-old captain of a wagon train. A strong, large man with an easygoing manner, he goes west because of his strong conviction that Oregon should become part of the United States, not of England, and because he thinks that his son deserves a better chance. Although he does not actively seek the post, he is elected captain. Unlike his predecessor, Tadlock, Evans does not enjoy giving speeches, and he is compelled to make special provisions for the weaker members of the company. He feels like a whole man for the first time when he takes a stand against Tadlock, who wants to hang a thieving Indian. His awe of the wilderness culminates in Oregon, which he views as a fitting place for his grandson to be born.
Rebecca Evans, Lije's wife and the strongest of all the women. She reluctantly leaves her comfortable home in Missouri because she thinks that there are more opportunities for her son and husband in Oregon. Stout, assured, and unafraid, she sees it as her duty to suppress her own fears and disappointments and to help the weak women, such as Judith Fairman and Mrs. Byrd. She is an insightful person who can predict how people will act and feel in certain situations, although she is occasionally baffled by the behavior of her men. Because she wants to maintain harmony in her family, she decides not to tell Lije that Brownie is not the father of Mercy's child.
Brownie Evans, the seventeen-year-old son of Lije and Rebecca. At the beginning of the trip, he daydreams of performing heroic feats because he fears that he will never be as brave as Dick Summers, his idol. He proves himself when he fights off the Indian dogs that are attacking his dog, Rock. Because he is a boy doing the man's job of taking care of the cattle on the journey, he matures quickly. By the end of the trip, he speaks to his father with the self-confidence of an adult as he tells Lije that he is going to marry Mercy and that he should take the lead wagon across the raging river.
Dick Summers, a mountain man and the pilot of the wagon train. His decision to go west with the company marks the end of his life as a farmer after his wife dies, as well as the beginning of his return to the beaver country that he left eight years earlier. He takes a new pleasure at the awakening memory of beaver streams, squaws, and mountain men that he has known. His vast knowledge of frontier lore is indispensable to the pioneers, most of whom are not nearly as skilled in hunting, locating water, and dealing with the Indians. He is also the confidant of Lije and Brownie Evans, who constantly go to him for advice. Summers' fierce independence makes him unpopular with Tadlock, who rankles at his flagrant breaking of rules, such as the prohibition against drinking alcohol on the journey. Even though Summers pilots the company safely to Oregon, he does not share their enthusiasm for settling and returns to the frontier.
Henry McBee, who is dirty, shiftless, and poor. He sides with whoever is in power at the time. Because of his eagerness to carry out Tadlock's order to kill all the dogs in camp, McBee becomes Lije's enemy. Before leaving for California, McBee kills Lije's dog, Rock, so that he can have the “last laugh.”
Mercy McBee, a pretty sixteen-year-old. Unlike her parents, she is kind, gentle, and hardworking. Seduced and impregnated by Curtis Mack, she agrees to marry Brownie, but only after telling him of her condition. She feels unworthy of Brownie and hopes that he has forgiven her.
Judith Fairman, the sickly wife of Charlie Fairman. She works to the limits of her strength. She moves to Oregon in the hope that a change of climate will be good for her sickly son, Tod. Devastated by the loss of Tod, she is sustained by the hope that her new baby will be a replacement.
Tod Fairman, the five-year-old son of Judith and Charlie Fairman. He no sooner recovers from the river fever that has plagued him all of his life than he dies from the bite of a rattlesnake.
Higgins, often called Hig, Fairman's hired man. Skinny, toothless, and ugly, Hig looks after Tod and entertains the pioneers with his sharp wit and his fiddle playing, although his ironic comments tend to disrupt the council meetings at times. He is also a deep thinker who feels dwarfed by the vastness of the new land.
Curtis Mack, the frustrated husband of Amanda. He quits business and starts west to get things off his mind, namely his troubled marriage. The anger and disappointment that he feels from his wife's refusal to sleep with him drive him to commit the senseless murder of a Kaw Indian and to seduce the innocent, trusting Mercy. Mack tries to atone for his sin by staying behind with the single men and assisting with the dangerous task of driving cattle across the Dalles River.
Weatherby, an old preacher. He decides to go west because he is convinced that he has been chosen to spread the word of God. He forms an unlikely partnership with the hard-drinking Summers, who provides him with food and shelter. The train comes to depend on the words that he speaks during council meetings, funerals, and weddings. He leaves the train shortly before it reaches Oregon so that he can Christianize the Indians, who, he fears, are in danger of being corrupted by the encroaching white settlers.
Tadlock, the Illinois man who organizes the company. More educated than most of the pioneers, he has the skills of a politician and an organizer and is a firm believer in discipline and method. His egotistical desire to lead the first company to reach Oregon becomes intolerable when he refuses to slow the wagon train for the benefit of the fever-stricken Martin. As a result, he is relieved of his command by the council. He joins a wagon train going to California because he believes that he will be more likely to realize his political ambitions there.
Mr. and Mrs. Byrd, a weak, unfit family beset by misfortune. Mr. Byrd is visibly afraid of fording the raging river that causes his pregnant wife to pitch out of the wagon and to deliver her baby prematurely. Incredibly, Mr. Byrd apologizes when his wagon crashes off the mountain, even though Evans is responsible.