There is a fine line between cops and robbers in True Grit. U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn isn't all that different from the men he hunts down and often kills. Oh, sure, he's robbed a bank and some government money, but that's not really stealing. Only stealing from individuals is real stealing, and he never does that. Being a marshal is just a way to pay the bills, and he leaves the job just as quickly as he came to it. There's no government in Indian Territory—and when there's no government, how do you know who's on the side of the law?
Questions About Criminality
- Is Rooster a criminal? Should he be allowed to be a law enforcement officer? Why was he able to get the job?
- Is Rooster a good marshal? Is he doing a valuable public service by tracking down the most dangerous men around?
- Why are so many of the men in Ned Pepper's gang barely older than Mattie? What are some of the things that might have led these young men into criminal activity at such a young age?
- Is LaBoeuf really committed to the idea of the law, or is he another quasi-criminal just like Rooster?