Hero's Journeyv A Hero's Journey: Rooster Cogburn in True Grit

The three central characters in the film True Grit are Rooster Cogburn, a rough U.S. marshal, Mattie Ross, a girl who plans to bring her father's killer, Tom Cheney, to justice, and LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who wants to capture Cheney for his own reasons. The story follows a pattern of narrative identified by Joseph Campbell. It is an adventure story that has the same structure as other classic adventure stories that we see in drama and myth.

At the beginning, we see Rooster Cogburn in his ordinary world. It is the first stage in the hero's journey. Rooster is asleep after a night of drinking. Mattie finds him and wakes him. In his ordinary world, Rooster Cogburn was drunk, dirty and mean. He liked to be by himself. He did not...

He did not care about anything but money and drinking. Mattie gives him the call to adventure, which is the second stage in the hero's journey. Rooster resists, which is the third stage in the journey He must be persuaded to take this challenge
In Joseph Campbell's fourth stage, the hero is encouraged by a mentor. Mattie and LaBoeuf are not mentors, but they do encourage Rooster to look for Tom Cheney. Rooster is persuaded by the promise of a cash reward. He is selfish and thinks only of the money.

In the fifth stage of the hero's journey, the adventure begins. Rooster and LaBoeuf set off, but they do not want Mattie to go with them. She will not take no for an answer, however. Maddie misses the ferry when the two men leave town but she rides her horse across the river to catch up with them. The men are impressed when they see that Mattie is tough and determined. Rooster starts to form a bond with Mattie because he admires her courage. He sees that the mission is very important to her. He has a new commitment to finding Tom Cheney.

Rooster learns…