Matte Ross Character Analysis

THE JOURNEY OF MATTIE ROSS’S LIFE.

Mattie Ross is a character from a book “TRUE GRIT, Written by Charles Portis”. She follows the stage named separation in the hero’s journey. She was called to her adventure. The call can be defined as an opportunity to face that, which is unknown or strange. To which one gains something of physical or spiritual value. (Harris & Thompson 50) In the case of Mattie Ross “The Initiate has had items that were taken from her father… M.R.’s quest is to get the items back that were stolen”. (Harris & Thompson 50) We can see her call in the book when she states that, “I was just fourteen years of age when… Tom Chaney shot my father… and robbed him of his life, horse, one hundred fifty dollars cash, and two California

To which she finds herself in a very dark and dangerous place in more ways than one. One of these dark situations is when she comes across Tom Chaney as she is gathering water. She states “I thought to turn and run but I could not move. I stood there fixed. Then he saw me” (Portis 178). Chaney then proceeded to draw his rifle and aim it at Mattie as he studied her. “He said well now I know you. Your name is Mattie. You are little Mattie the bookkeeper”. (Portis 178). Chaney put his rifle down then Mattie drew her revolver and asked him to come with her. To which Chaney replied “I will not go. How do you like that” (Portis 178). That is when he started walking toward Mattie and she shot him once in the side. Then he threw a piece of wood at her. It had hit her in the chest and that is when Mr. Chaney made his move on her. He captured her and brought her back to the bandit camp. Where she ended up thinking that Rooster and laboeuf left her for good. At this point the bandits leave Mattie in the bandit camp with Chaney. Mattie then had to act quickly she pulled her revolver and shot at Chaney again. The shot had caused her to fall into a pit. This is where Mattie faces her darkest moment. She found herself in this pit stuck in a small hole to which she says “I was caught like a cork in a bottle” (Portis 204). To which the only thing she could think of was how to get out of the pit. She looked around and saw a