Character Analysis: The Ned Pepper Gang

Throughout the novel there are three main characters on the trail to catching Tom Chaney, Mattie, Rooster, and LeBoeuf. Between these three characters there is a possiblity for two of them to be the one true protagonist of this novel while the other two are antagonists and catalyst characters. The two characters who are in the running for protagonist are Mattie and Rooster – and the one who wins will change if LeBoeuf is the antagonist or catylist character. This novel follows mattie (the narrator), Rooster, and LeBoeuf as they chase the Ned Pepper Gang to bring Tom Chaney to justice for either killing Matties dad (what Mattie focuses on) or for killing a senator in Texas (what LeBoeuf is focusing on). These two perspectives causes tension

He started out with a selfish reason to catch Chaney – especially after LeBoeuf brought up the reward that he was going to get in Texas for bringing Chaney back. Throughout the story he talked about the adventures that he went on and even admitted that there were times that he thought it better to shoot first and ask questions second in order to prevent criminals from escaping. He made a plan to shoot one of Ned Pepper’s gang members in the back while he was in the trees to show that he meant business. Rooster did not care for the lives of those he went against, even refusing to give a proper burial that he promised one of the young boys in the shed that he shot. Rooster also has a bad drinking problem throughout the story, which was commented on regularly by Mattie and LeBoeuf. After Rooster had wasted most of their biscuits by shooting them the novel stopped commenting on him drinking which leads the readers to believe that he stopped drinking to the level he was at. As the novel goes on Rooster grows to care more about Mattie as a person instead of a money bank. He was more protective of her and used his strength to make sure that she survived to the end of their

She hired Rooster, which started the adventure and throughout the novel kept talking to Rooster about how he had promised to take care of the criminals that he killed and made sure that he did that even when he wanted to just leave the bodies to the elements. Mattie caused Rooster to grow as a person due to her personality that caused her to get into trouble with a refusal to keep herself safe. Rooster saw himself in Mattie and grew to care for her. LeBoeuf is more of an antagonist to Rooster. Rooster views most of the Texas Rangers (which LeBoeuf is) as barely law enforcement and not worth his time if he does not get something out of it. LeBoeuf also dislikes how Rooster takes care of his criminals and they but heads regularly throughout the novel. LeBoeuf also despises that Mattie came to start out with and fought with Rooster heavily by calling him weak and saying that she was running him. By the end of the novel they reach an understanding of each other but it took them throughout the entire novel to be at peace. The Ned Pepper Gang are also antagonists but are a very small part of the novel (interestingly enough as they were who the trio were chasing). The Ned Pepper Gang took in Tom Chaney so all of the enemies of the trio were all together and was a large encouragement for Rooster to actually take the job. The Ned Pepper Gang also gave Mattie a new perspective as her experience when they kidnapped her was that they