Western Genre

Synopsis

It is post-Civil War Arizona, Apache country, and Hondo Lane, a half-breed loner, stumbles upon a ranch occupied by only a woman, Angie Lowe, and her son, Johnny, with no man in sight.  Angie's husband, Ed, has disappeared, and she does not know whether or not he is even alive.  After realizing that the woman and child are alone, Hondo urges them to flee, as he knows an Apache uprising is imminent.  But this is Angie's home, which her father had built and nurtured until he died.  Hondo knows he cannot force Angie, especially since she is a married woman, so he leaves her behind, but not before a spark has a chance to develop between them.    

Vittoro, and Apache chief, also encounters Angie at the ranch, along with several of his tribe members.  Johnny, in an effort to defend his mother and their land, shoots and nearly kills Silva, an Apache warrior.  Vittoro, seeing the potential in Johnny, takes it upon himself to see to it that Johnny and Angie are cared for, and that Johnny has someone to teach him how to fight and live off the land.  Vittoro wants Angie to be the squaw of one of his warriors, and gives her until the rainy season to decide. 
As Angie is plotting her potential escape, her thoughts keep returning to Hondo.  For while she is brave and intelligent, she knows that she alone is no match for a tribe of Apache warriors, and that Hondo is her only real hope for survival (and possibly love).
Meanwhile, Hondo discovers that Ed Lowe, Angie's husband, is in fact alive, and making a living as a swindling gambler at an outpost.  He apparently has no intention of returning to the ranch, until he discovers that Hondo has been there, when he sees Hondo is riding one of his horses.
All three men are fighting their way back to Angie, so that they may fight for her. 
At first glance, this novel may seem like a stereotypical story of the west, where Indians are savages, women are helpless, and only the hero can save the day.  But what unfolds is a complex story of loyalty, love, bravery, and honor, with richly drawn characters, sparse yet poetic writing, and a story you don;t want to end.
Hondo is one of the most beloved Westerns of the past century, and was written by one of the most prolific and treasured American authors, Louis L'Amour.  

Elements of Western Genre

Tone/Mood-  Westerns typically have  "a sense of longing for times past and knowledge that these days will not come again." (Saricks, 320) While the tone is not overtly nostalgic, there is definitely the vibe of "simpler times", or perhaps a time when honor could be defended and moral codes were valued.  This novel tends toward somber, but is also quite suspenseful at times in the sense that many of the characters spend time blind to what is happening with others.  

Characterization- While there certainly exists a temptation to put characters in "good guy/bad guy" slots in an action or western story, this book resists that temptation but giving characters more complexity and depth.  This is especially evident with the characterization of the Apache.  They are not drawn as mere savages, but as people with a range of emotions, values, and abilities.  Vittoro, the Apache chief, sees potential in Angie's son after he stands up to another Apache and nearly kills him. He takes the boy under his wing, making him a part of the tribe and vowing to show him how to be a warrior and a man.  Hondo himself is a pretty standard "hero", with a strong desire to save a woman and her child from potential harm, but is also bound with a sense of duty to take care of her, since it is apparent to him that the man in her life has abandoned her.  Angie also has a great deal of complex feelings.  She has been abandoned by her husband.  Upon meeting Hondo, she is immediately attracted to him,  but does not want to act upon her feelings because she is still technically married.  She is being pulled in multiple directions, by her husband, Hondo, and Vittoro, but remains stoic on the outside so no on perceives her as weak.  In fact, it could be said that the real hero is Angie, whose cunning and bravery make her the most likely savior of herself and Johnny.  

Story Line- "Survival in...harsh landscape", as well a plot where "justice restores order", and "lives lived at the edge of death" (Sariks, 318) are Western elements that are prevalent in this book.  Essentially, everyone in this book is trying to survive, and they all face varying odds.  But within the quest for survival is the quest to right some wrong: Ed Lowe wants to right the wrong he perceives Hondo has done to him, while simultaneously avoiding getting killed by Hondo;  Hondo is trying to right the wrong done to Angie by Ed, while trying to stay above the fray of the Apache war; Silva's honor has tested by nearly being killed by Johnny, a young boy; Angie is trying to do what she can to survive, while keeping her son out of harm's way (and also trying not to fall in love with Hondo); Vittoro is trying to make sure Johnny has, essentially, a positive male role model and a tribe.  Who knew Westerns could be so much like reality T.V?  

Frame/Setting- "Landscape dominates the Western, and is often so carefully drawn that it is a character itself." (Sariks, 314)  This is likely due to the fact that the settings in Westerns are usually some sort of barren landscape or desert, and so the characters tend to be at the mercy of the landscape.  Hondo is set in the Arizona desert, and it is lovingly drawn as a place of both consistency and mystery.  Early on in the story, there is a moment where the saguaro cacti are described as being "strange exclamation points of the desert".  I experienced the Arizona desert and the saguaro a few summers ago, and although I was deeply affected by them, I was never really able to quite figure out how to articulate what it was about them that made them so special and strange.  For some reason, this line stuck with me, and is entirely accurate.  I did not think that I would enjoy reading a western, and may not have enjoyed it as much had I not been in this very setting and felt so moved by it.  I understand the appeal and draw of this landscape, and L'Amour quite poetically frames his story within this place.

Style/Language- There were times when reading this book felt like reading a haiku.  Because while the language was spare, it was also quite poetic.  It was reflective of both the setting, as well as Hondo himself.  Both the desert and the hero are understated, but with deeper meaning below the surface.  

Read-alikes

    Riders of the Purple Sage - Zane Grey

   Hombre- Elmore Leonard

   Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry

Works Cited

Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. American Library Association, 2009.