66 pages • 2 hours read
Owen WisterThe Virginian
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1902A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
On the return trip from Chicago, Trampas tries to get the ranch hands to mutiny against the Virginian. Why does he do this, what does the Virginian do in response, and why does the Virginian’s ploy work?
Name two character traits in the Virginian that help him deal with problems on the ranch, and give an example for each.
Molly loves the Virginian from the moment she meets him, but she resists his courtship for three years. Why is she so reticent? What causes her to relent? How does she grow from this experience?
The ranchers, besieged by cattle thieves, take matters into their own hands and hunt down and kill the rustlers. Give an argument in favor of their action and an argument against it.
Name three aspects of the Virginian’s character that you believe form part of the iconic Western hero. Give your reasoning.
The Virginian loves to play pranks. Four of these are described in the book. Briefly describe each, and explain how their results help or hinder the Virginian.
Molly keeps a small portrait of her great-grandmother Stark. Who is she, and why is she important to Molly?
Of all the people Molly and the Virginian know, which do you believe has the most positive influence on them? Explain why this is so.
How do the mountains symbolize the Virginian’s character, and how do they symbolize the love between him and Molly?
The Virginian is widely considered the first important novel of the West. It includes several elements that recur in subsequent Western stories, movies, and TV shows. Name three of these elements and suggest why each is part of the myth of the Old West.
