How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I lost it in the fight at Lone Jack outside of Kansas City. My horse was down too and I was all but blind. Cole Younger crawled out under a hail of fire and pulled me back." (6.247)
Here, Rooster reveals to Mattie that he lost his eye in a Civil War battle. This is a subtle reminder that America as we know it almost wasn't—just ten years before the story takes place, there was a huge, destructive, bloody war about whose vision of America was going to dominate.
Quote #8
"Rooster" Cogburn will amaze you with his skill and dash with the six-shooter and repeating rifle! Don't leave the ladies and little ones behind! Spectators can watch this unique exhibition in perfect safety. (7.326)
Rooster's final job was performing in Wild West Shows, popular in the late nineteenth century. Talk about a vision of America: these shows gave cushy East Coasters a look at the rough-and-tumble world on the other side of the Mississippi River without ever having to set foot in Indian Territory.