SP Rooster Cogburn

During the 1960s, women in America began rebelling against the unequal treatment they received, and were no longer content with the “woman’s place” in society. Eula Goodnight depicts this breakthrough role of women in Rooster Cogburn as a strong-minded, fearless woman. When in face to face confrontation with Hawk and his loaded pistol, Eula never phases from her confidence or courage, refusing to yield to the violent display of male power. This sudden revision of the female is inevitable in society, as women across the country are standing up together and can no longer be suppressed by patriarchy – however, the development is hard to accept for most men, as illustrated by Rooster Cogburn’s who seeks to maintain the typical male-hero, damsel-in-distress dynamic. Eula proves her capability of performing as well as a man when she shoots down Hawk’s goon, saving Rooster’s life in the process, but is denied the gratification that Rooster was all too quick to give to Wolf. While Eula does embody the changing status of the female, she follows the classic view of women, as well, by not expecting Rooster to recognize her competence, brushing off the lack of commendation because it is what she has learned to expect over her lifetime as a woman. She continues to follow this classic view throughout the film, filling the part of the obedient female when Rooster states that she “pay heed to every word [he] says til this thing’s over” – what he does not realize however, is that Eula is patronizing him with her response of “naturally, marshal.” Her reply is comical for female viewers watching the film during the time of its release because they are all too familiar with padding their husbands’ ego and playing this subservient role, when in reality, women superseded that role long ago. In all, this film is about making men realize that, even though they do not want to change the current gender roles, they can no longer stop women from changing their own role. Rooster Cogburn finally realizes this inevitability when he says at the end of the film “she is the way she is because that’s the way she wants to be.” Eula concludes the film with “getting the last word in,” to emphasize the fact that women during the 1970s were not pursuing their equality idly, but with determinability that would never weaken until that equality was gained.