Loyalty, 3:10 to Yuma - Assignment Example

Loyalty is faithfulness, devotion or an allegiance to another person, creed or group. A good synonym is fidelity. Loyalty is unwavering, permanent. 3:10 to Yuma studied loyalty in several ways through several characters, including a horse. Dan Evans, a one-legged rancher, finds himself on the verge of losing his land to railroad opportunists, his son disrespects him and his wife doubts him. He has one week, actually six days, to rebuild his family’s world. Dan is loyal to his family, and as a result, loyal to his mission. The movie reveals later that his son Mark’s medical condition drove the decision to move to the desert. Will, despite his wall of disrespect, is very loyal to his father. Will Evans follows his father to protect him. Ben Wade has loyalty to a creed. This belief system is well defined in his mind, but not clear to everyone else. Dan Evans understands near the end of the movie. Charlie Prince worships Ben Wade. If Ben is king, Charlie Prince is like a son in loyalty. The Biblical references begin with Charlie Prince, but surround Ben. After the stage robbery, Charlie accounts for Ben’s twelve followers. “The hand of God” is Ben’s gun. At the end of the bar scene, Charlie assures Ben that he will wait for Ben, regardless of the risk of capture. Ben’s horse remains an obedient servant to the end. 2. The veterinarian, Doc, had already lost his patient, McElroy. He had no compelling reason to be in the tunnels. He felt morally justified in hitting a man in the face with a shovel to stop torture. A gun fight ensued and he was shot in the process. Doc felt that his moral code was worth dying for. Dan Evans believes his family’s future is worth fighting or dying for. As the stakes are raised for him, he ultimately must fight twenty gun slingers on his own to get Ben Wade to the train, certainly a suicide mission. But through this accomplishment, he becomes a hero to Will and saves his family farm. Local Contention law enforcement decides the fight “isn’t fair”, and therefore, not in the job description. They died for not being willing to fight for justice. Dan knew Ben would allow him to leave, probably pay him; but his soul and his son’s respect were now at stake. Those were worth fighting or dying for. 3. Honor is living by a code of principles, loyalty to a code of ethics. We are taught a positive code of honesty, fairness, truthfulness and respect; but the movie demonstrated Ben’s code of honor. Ben murdered, stole and bullied. He also revered nature and beauty, and respected forthright people like Dan. Ben generally justified stealing from the railroad because of their tactics, like those used to take Dan’s land. Like Hollander told Dan, he should know when he’s beaten and cut his losses, Ben told McElroy to save defense costs and just let him rob the coach. Ben admired Dan for standing up for his cattle when they first met, even though Dan had to know the stakes of the conversation. Ben asked Velvet to escape to Mexico with him, to be reborn “Down at the River” as a free man. Ben wanted to quit the outlaw life and live in peace. In the end, he guns down his own gang, got on the train to fulfill Dan’s contract and immediately planned his escape. 4. Discretion is excluded from valor. Valor is guts, courage and bravery while discretion is judgment and prudence. Valor does not honor discretion, and while it may not be a coward’s excuse, discretion is no part of valor. The local sheriffs were shot down unarmed trying to be discrete. 5. Bravery is merely foolhardy may be the coward’s excuse. Cowardice is foolhardy. Again, see the local sheriffs final outcome. Bravery is often an act that saves the many at the risk of the few. Dan needed to earn money to keep his farm; he also needed to teach his son how to be a man. In many ways, this movie was Will’s coming of age story, Ben’s and Dan’s redemption. Ben and Dan getting control of their lives. Dan understands the $200 offer to walk away is the railroad man’s ability to walk away, not Dan’s. He demands $1000, to match Ben’s offer and then conditions which amount to his farm’s survival. Now the railroad man can walk away. Dan will complete his mission. 6. Ben shoots Charlie for his disloyalty, same as the first gang member after the robbery. The toast at the bar, Proverbs 13:3 “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Charlie just shot Dan in the back and then showed disrespect for Dan, whom Ben admired and respected. Ben valued honor over loyalty. In Ben’s mind, it is dishonorable to back-shoot an honorable and tough opponent. When Will holds a gun on Ben, Ben turns to face Will. He knows Will admires and respects him, so he gives Will the choice. Ben has already gunned down the remainder of his gang, whom he referred to as animals. These acts severed his attachment to the criminal life, honored his deal with Dan and provided Ben with the opportunity of a new beginning. 7. There are two points in the movie where the mission becomes symbolically more. When Will saves the posse from Ben, Dan becomes more resolute to demonstrate to his son that he can see this mission through. Will’s remark about holding a gun on Ben better than the rest, although cutting, was true. The second moment involved the railroad man offering the $200 to leave. Dan knew the offer was made so the railroad man could leave with a more clear conscience. Ben Wade quoted Proverbs a second time, 21:2 “Every way of man is right in his own mind; The Lord ponders the heart.” Discretion, foolhardiness and greed are in the mind, valor, bravery and honor are in the heart. Review Question McElroy may allude to honor, but he is a bounty hunter and doing the job for reward money. Wade alludes to manhood and honor, but he is a thief and murderer. Dan wants to save his family farm and he needs money within six days. This opportunity begins as a job for pay. At the beginning of the film, Dan has allowed himself to be bullied and pushed to the brink, his son shows open disrespect and his wife has lost faith in him. He does not give the appearance of an honorable man. Throughout the film, Ben and Dan become more similar in their hearts. Their goals become mutually beneficial; they both may find peace. In the end, they both become more honorable men. The LaBarge article on heroism outlines some of the characteristics of heroes: 1. Must be larger than life. 2. Limit the possibilities of life Limit the possibilities means viewing life as brave or challenging, honorable or excellence. So the choice of hero will guide the person to their view of these conditions; and, therefore, limit the possibilities. Leonard Elmore would identify Dan as the hero of the story, because it is Dan’s story; however, Ben and Will could be heroes in their stories. The story concerns Dan’s growing understanding of honor. His actions are certainly larger than life and they challenge Will not to walk away from his responsibilities. Will sets out to prove he can handle adult conflict. He stays and fights next to his father, creating his own stampede for cover for the race to the train. Will makes the decision not to shoot Ben. Ben has an artistic side, but he is caught in the outlaw life. He has a code of ethics that he honors. He is larger than life as an outlaw, and he limits the possibilities. In the end, he guns down his own gang and gets on the train, honoring Dan’s contract. Ben is now free to escape and start a new life. LaBarge implores, “Tell your students what a difference people of courage and nobility and genius have made to the world. Just tell the stories”. Dan best fits the description of courage and nobility. Read More