Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in True Grit, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Revenge
Maturity, Independence, and Expectations
Collaboration, Companionship, and Loyalty
Violence, Courage, and Intelligence
Summary
Analysis
Mattie goes to the post office the next morning and receives the letter from Lawyer Daggett, which includes a “notarized release” outlining the deal with Stonehill. It also includes a note from Daggett, in which he expresses his support but says he wishes Mattie would let him handle such matters. He urges her to come home, saying he will expect her on the first train back to Yell County. He also tells her about her father’s funeral, and she becomes angry when she learns which preacher delivered the ceremony. “If you want anything done right you will have to see to it yourself every time,” she notes.
When Mattie says, “If you want anything done right you will have to see to it yourself every time,” readers recognize her independent nature. Indeed, this sentiment is the same impulse that drives her to take the Chaney situation into her own hands. It is also the same worldview that gives her the confidence to execute deals like the one she makes with Stonehill—a deal that she’s finally able to finalize, now that Daggett’s notarized letter has arrived.
Themes
When Mattie goes to Stonehill, she finds him in bad shape. “My malaria is making its annual visitation,” he tells her. He tries to write her a check, but she insists upon having cash, so he says he’ll have to wait until his bank opens. Mattie returns to the Monarch for breakfast, during which Mrs. Floyd asks her if she received Daggett’s letter. This line of questioning annoys Mattie, since Mrs. Floyd explains to LaBoeuf that Mattie has sold back a set of ponies to Stonehill—a piece of information Mattie would rather keep private. After the bank opens, she returns to Stonehill’s barn, and he pays her the full amount. As he does so, he laments the fact that he ever came to Arkansas, saying that he was told it was supposed to be “the Chicago of the Southwest” but that he’s only had bad luck.
Because Mattie is young, Mrs. Floyd feels no need to show discretion when it comes to her personal affairs. This annoys Mattie, since she has made an enemy of LaBoeuf and thus doesn’t want him knowing the details of her personal life. It’s also worth recognizing that her deal with Stonehill has now gone through, thereby proving that she’s quite capable of engaging in adult transactions.
Themes
Mattie visits Rooster, who is still in bed. He complains about having to “follow all the regulations laid down by Uncle Sam,” including writing up “fee sheets” so the government will pay him. Changing the subject, Mattie says she read in the paper that Odus Wharton is going to be hanged, and Rooster explains that the execution will take place in January, though Goudy is “going to Washington city to see if President Hayes will not commute the sentence.” He then complains that Goudy will tell lies about the case. “I should have put a ball in that boy’s head instead of his collarbone,” he says. “You will sometimes let money interfere with your notion of what is right.”
During this conversation, Rooster expresses the morally unsettling idea that it’s better to simply shoot a criminal in the head than let him testify in court. Because U.S. marshals get paid based on whether or not the criminals they bring in are alive, he purposefully avoided killing Odus, but now he wishes he had ended the boy’s life. In turn, readers see once again that Rooster is seemingly more interested in taking revenge on his enemies than in anything else—including money.
Themes
Not wasting any more time, Mattie takes out $50 and shows it to Rooster. After going over the terms of their deal again, Rooster agrees, at which point Mattie asks if they can leave that afternoon. Hearing this, Rooster jolts upright in bed, saying, “Hold up. You are not going.” Nonetheless, Mattie tells him that this is simply part of the deal, adding that he has “misjudged” her if he thinks she’s “silly enough” to give him $100 without making sure he upholds his end of the deal. Still, Rooster says Mattie will slow him down. “What if you get sick again?” he asks. “I can do nothing for you.” Despite this, Mattie remains undeterred, saying that she has been “coon hunting” and knows how to be “out in the woods all night.” “We sat around a big fire and Yarnell told ghost stories,” she says. “We had a good time.”
Although Mattie is very independent and capable of acting like an adult in many situations, she inadvertently reveals her naivety when she compares a manhunt to a “coon hunting” excursion. Needless to say, these two activities are very dissimilar, since raccoons don’t try to kill their hunters. Furthermore, Mattie talks about telling “ghost stories” around a campfire, thereby implying that pursuing Chaney might even be “a good time.” For the first time readers see that, despite her admirable maturity, Mattie is still quite inexperienced.
Themes
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Rooster says Mattie will be “crying” for her mother if she comes with him, but she argues, saying, “I have left off crying, and giggling as well.” She then tells him to make a decision. “They told me you had grit and that is why I came to you,” she taunts, and when he says he should slap her, she suggests that he’s incapable of doing so, at which point he jumps toward her but only spills his coffee. Grabbing his “fee sheets,” Mattie holds the papers above the stove and threatens to burn them. Hearing the commotion, Lee bounds into the room, but Rooster tells him to leave, saying, “Everything is all right. Sis and me is making medicine.” When they’re alone again, Rooster says he can’t leave town until he finishes his expense reports.
It’s obvious that Mattie isn’t quite as mature as she thinks, but she’s quite capable of holding her own. She proves her ability to outsmart grown men, as she threatens to burn Rooster’s “fee sheets.” In doing so, she makes up for the fact that she wouldn’t stand a chance in a physical fight against Rooster. Readers thus see that what she lacks in physical strength she makes up for in intelligence and resourcefulness—traits that will come in handy if Rooster lets her accompany him on the manhunt.
Themes
Sitting down, Mattie fills out Rooster’s expense reports, writing them out neatly and thoroughly. When she finishes, Rooster is blown away, saying that Potter—who used to fill out the sheets—was never so thorough. Mattie then gives Rooster $25 and promises to pay another $25 when they set out. They agree to leave first thing the next morning, planning to cross over into Cherokee Nation on a ferry. Next, Mattie goes to Stonehill’s barn and buys back the best looking pony, whom she names Blackie. During the transaction, she mentions that she’ll be traveling with Rooster, and Stonehill says, “How did you light on that greasy vagabond?” Going on, he says, “Report has it that he rode by the light of the moon with Quantrill […]. I would not trust him too much.”
When Mattie does such a good job filling out Rooster’s expense reports, she proves to him that she has worth despite the fact that he sees her as just a little girl. Rather than depending upon physical prowess, she uses her brain to her advantage—something Rooster often fails to do, judging by the fact that he tends to shoot people before even trying to negotiate. In fact, it’s this ruthless mentality that accords with Stonehill’s warning about him. When Stonehill says that Rooster used to ride with Quantrill, he reveals that Rooster hasn’t always been on the right side of the law, since William Quantrill’s group of guerilla soldiers in the Civil War were known for their excessively violent, racist, and unorthodox methods. By giving readers a brief look into Rooster’s troubling history, then, Portis suggests that his violent tendencies run deep.
Themes
When she returns to Rooster’s later that evening, Mattie finds him sitting with LaBoeuf. Rooster tells her that LaBoeuf is also after Chaney, but Mattie says she already knows this, saying she has already turned him down. However, Rooster insists that having LaBoeuf could “come in handy.” Realizing that Rooster intends to take Mattie with him on the manhunt, LaBoeuf expresses his disbelief, then points out that he could make more money if he helped him bring Chaney to Texas, since the senator’s family has offered a reward of $1,500 for him—dead or alive. This, LaBoeuf says, is on top of a $500 reward for delivering Chaney alive to the Texas officials. LaBoeuf offers to split the $1,500 with Rooster if they bring Chaney in alive. If they have to kill him, he says, he’ll offer Rooster a third of that money.
Rooster is normally motivated by revenge, but Chaney hasn’t done anything to him. As such, it seems likely that he’ll accept LaBoeuf’s offer, since there’s no denying that he also wants to earn as much money as he can. This, it seems, is how things work in Mattie’s society, where people go after criminals not because they want justice, but because they want to get rich.
Themes
Rooster asks Mattie why she objects to the idea of LaBoeuf bringing Chaney back to Texas. “We will be getting him all the same,” he points out, but Mattie says she wants Chaney to “know he is being punished for killing” her father. And though Rooster assures her that she can tell this to Chaney himself when they catch him, she remains steadfast. “You are being stiff-necked about this,” he complains. “You are young. It is time you learned that you cannot have your way in every little particular. Other people have got their interests too.” Still, Mattie says she expects to “have [her] way” when she has “bought and paid for something.” LaBoeuf says that Mattie won’t be coming along regardless of what happens. This angers Rooster, but LaBoeuf points out that he would be putting Mattie in danger by taking her, so he backs down.
As he tries to convince Mattie to ease up, Rooster points out that Chaney will be brought to justice regardless of what happens to him after he’s arrested. However, Mattie is unwilling to see things this way, since she’s too fixated on revenge to believe that it’s “all the same.” When he points out that “other people have got their interests, too,” he alludes to the fact that he could make more money if he brings Chaney to Texas, thereby indicating that he will most likely betray their original agreement.
Themes
Mattie demands that Rooster give her back her down payment, but he has already spent it. Though he promises to reimburse her after the trip, she knows he’s lying. She leaves in a rage, going back to the Monarch, gathering her belongings, and telling Mrs. Floyd that she’ll be gone for a few days. Going back to Stonehill’s barn, she asks if she can sleep in the back office because she wants to “get an early start” the next day. When Stonehill agrees, Mattie arranges to have the watchman prepare Blackie an hour before dawn and to wake her up.
It’s unsurprising that Rooster decides to side with LaBoeuf, since he himself doesn’t have a personal vendetta against Chaney. Although he can appreciate Mattie’s desire to exact revenge, he is focused on his own “interests,” which are—in this context—primarily financial. Since working with LaBoeuf will earn him more money, then, he turns his back on Mattie.
Themes
Early in the morning, Mattie rises and mounts her horse, putting her father’s pistol in a sugar sack and tying it to the saddle. She then rides to the ferry, which she knows Rooster and LaBoeuf are going to use to cross the river into Indian Territory. After waiting for them to appear, she boards the boat while still riding Blackie. However, LaBoeuf calls to a deckhand and asks him to lead her off the ferry, and he obliges, taking her back onto shore and walking her up a large hill despite her protests. Defeated, she watches the ferry pull away, but at the top of the hill she says, “Wait, stop a minute.” When the deckhand halts, Mattie pretends there’s something “wrong” with her hat. As he turns to see what she means, she turns Blackie around and gallops back down the hill.
When Mattie tricks the deckhand into letting go of her and Blackie, she uses her intelligence to her benefit. As such, she once again proves how useful it is to be quick-witted in the rugged world of the Wild West, where everyone around her seemingly relies on grand displays of power and aggression to get their way.
Themes
At the narrowest section of the river, Mattie steers Blackie into the water, and though the current is strong, she manages to thrash through to the other side, beating the ferry across. When the ferry finally docks, LaBoeuf and Rooster come ashore and stand ahead of her, discussing what they should do. Then, without warning, they gallop away, so she chases them. For multiple miles, they try to lose her, but they can’t quite manage to shake her, as she stays just behind them. Sometimes, though, they ride over the peak of a hill, at which point she loses sight of them. As she crests one of these hilltops, she realizes they aren’t on the road ahead of her, but then they jump out of the bushes and block her path. Having finally stopped her, LaBoeuf dismounts his horse and grabs her off of Blackie.
Mattie’s determination is evident in this moment, as she directs herself into a body of running water. As a result, readers see how serious she is about joining the manhunt, wanting badly to be there when Rooster and LaBoeuf take down Chaney. However, there’s no changing the fact that she’s inexperienced when it comes to things like horse chases. In keeping with this, Rooster and LaBoeuf eventually get the best of her.
Themes
Throwing Mattie to the ground, LaBoeuf starts whipping her with a switch. “I am going to stripe your leg good,” he says. After a while, Mattie begins to cry, though “more from anger and embarrassment than pain.” Turning to Rooster, she says, “Are you going to let him do this?” Watching the scene, Rooster puts out a cigarette and says, “No, I don’t believe I will. Put your switch away, LaBoeuf. She has got the best of us.” However, LaBoeuf refuses to stop, saying, “She has not got the best of me.” Rooster yells at him to stop, but he doesn’t listen. “I am going ahead with what I started,” LaBoeuf says, and Rooster unholsters his revolver, points it at him, cocks it, and says, “It will be the biggest mistake you ever made, you Texas brush-popper.” LaBoeuf begrudgingly unhands Mattie.
For the first time in the novel, Rooster reveals his sense of loyalty to Mattie, demonstrating that he actually cares about her, despite his hard exterior. Even though he turned his back on her in order to make more money with LaBoeuf, he now stands up for her, proving that he won’t let anyone push her around—including LaBoeuf.
Themes
