RT High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo

In West of Everything, Jane Tompkins states, "The position represented by language, always associated with women, religion, and culture is allowed to appear in Westerns and is accorded a certain plausibility and value" (55). Tompkins explains that talking is feminine and that women need to talk and express feelings. Women are shown as less dominant figures to their male counterparts. This is highlighted when they express their insecurities and fear through speech, which is sharply contrasted by the males overpowering silence and superiority. In addition, women are shown as merely, "extensions of the men they are paired with" (40). Tompkins explains that women in a traditional Western film are shown to be backgrounds to the highlighted male role, often being insignificant to the film as a whole.

For films such as High Noon which was shot in 1952, this certainly holds true throughout the beginning of the film. The main characters newly married wife searches for answers and explanations as to why her husband must fight the criminals when he could simply flee. She uses words to fight for what she believes, which proves to have little affect on her husband. She eventually leaves when she sees no hope and abandons her husband. However, by the end of the film she changes her mind and comes back for her husband. Her change as a character is highlighted when she kills one of the criminals herself. For a female character in a film made in the 1950s to kill one of the major enemies, shows a huge change in the traditional female western role. Additionally, one other female character, Helen Ramirez, who was also an immigrant, even owned a shop in the town. To have such a direct impact on the town was a big deal for a female character in a film made during this time. Helen Ramirez also had large control over her male companion Harvey, who she often bosses around and talks down to.

In the 1993 film, The Ballad of Little Jo, the main character is a woman. This in itself goes against much of Tompkins ideology. Tompkins argues, "as in the case of women in Westerns generally, is that there's nothing to them. They may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble" (61). The film, The Ballad of Little Jo, defies everything that this states. During the film, the main character, Jo, pretends to be a man and flees from her home. As the film progresses she learns to live on her own and stands up to men numerous times, even killing several. Jo communicates minimally with others and likes her privacy, all of which were previously defined as masculine traits in a Western film. The whole film revolutionizes the idea that women were unable to live the lifestyle of men and shows that they can be as tough and ruthless as their male counterparts.