“My thought was: The stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner.” Charles Portis expects us to believe in Mattie Ross in her journey to become “the head of the corner”. His old-timey classic novel, True Grit, displays the best expression of a Wild West adventure while stretching the boundaries of gender roles and expectations at the same time. Charles Portis conjures an American masterpiece with his creative characters and adventure. True Grit defines the true meaning of grit to its readers. Mattie Ross, the main character, recollects the story of how she avenges her deceased father who was unjustifiably murdered by a snake of a man, Tom Chaney. Tom Chaney was employed by Mattie’s father. Mattie narrates the tale of how she hires Rooster Cogburn, a skilled marshal with a harsh reputation, to bring justice to her family. Another man by the name of LaBeouf joins the party. Together they embark on an amazing escapade to serve what is right for Tom Chaney. They work together to overcome many obstacles associated with the manhunt. However, Charles Portis’s slow escalating plot expels the anticipation and excitement of a justice-serving story for the reader. Then, everything just happens. It’s like being slowly pinned against a wall and then having a group of people launch dodgeballs at your face all at once and expecting you to catch them all. Charles Portis cares more about the development of his freelancing, unique characters than he does about completing the storyline in a satisfactory manner. Readers who appreciate a push-for-the-finish line kind of book will enjoy this carefully crafted, American classic.

While True Grit is a grand Western adventure, it still portrays notable aspects other than thrill and excitement. Portis harnesses on developing the characters whenever the chance arises. I counted several times in my reading where I was proved that Mattie was a steadfast person. Mattie says, “If you want anything done right you will have to see to it yourself every time.” Charles Portis solidifies a character’s personality time and time again. I appreciate the degree to which Portis develops his characters. When you read True Grit you will feel like you know Mattie well enough that you could be her. When I say you could be her, I mean that you would act the same way as her if you were in her shoes. I know that Mattie would hop on a horse and follow Rooster and LeBeouf because I understand she is gritty and motivated. It is easy to understand that Mattie would make sure she was a part of the entire manhunt because she sees past her age, gender, and social norms. However, the amount of characterization going into the book becomes repetitive. As stated above, I counted several times in my reading where I learned the same thing about Mattie over and over again. I feel it would have been better if the plot and the development of the characters were moving at similar speeds. Instead, characterization happens and then they get into the actually telling of the story.

Charles Portis understands that because his characters are developed to the maximum degree, they become predictable. When you get to know somebody, like the way you get to know the characters in this book, you are going to easily be able to predict their next move. Portis knows this. For goodness sake! He isolated himself to a small shack when he wrote this book. He had enough time to think out exactly what the reader would think of every little detail. That is why he always throws a twist. He will lead you in one direction and then completely change course and go somewhere that you weren’t expecting. For example, the ending of the book was like going into triple overtime. Not because it was long, but because something unexpected would suddenly happen and another problem needed to be solved. For example, Mattie finally gets a good shot on Chaney and the reader expects it to finally be over. Nope. She fell into a hole. Then the reader thinks, “Well, at least there aren’t snakes and somebody should be around to save her soon. Oh thank goodness help is here. Never mind, it’s Chaney! Wait he’s dead, she might be okay. Oh no, there are snakes all of a sudden.” I appreciate the out-of-the-blue plot twists that make the Western adventure so much more exhilarating. Portis’ unanticipated plot ties into the dry, witty humor that he so carefully develops in True Grit as well. 

The biggest critique I could give the book was the concise and hurried ending. It was like watching a movie, based on a real story, that had a 5-second presentation of what the characters did with the rest of their lives. I feel like Charles Portis could have found a better place for an ending where it lets the reader imagine the rest of Mattie, Rooster, and LaBeouf’s escapades in the Wild West. The way things panned out was by no means fulfilling to me. 

Does True Grit earn its own spurs? Based on my criticism of the development of characters, unanticipated plot, and lets-get-this-over-with ending, I’d say it was close. No doubt, this is an incredible book. However, the taste it leaves in the reader’s mouth simply wasn’t pleasing. This book is an amazing example of grit, determination, and pushing past social boundaries. I’d recommend this book to anyone because of its valuable lesson on letting nothing get in the way of what you know is right.