Cowboy Courage

Film and television Westerns are most often associated with physical bravery. However, manyespecially those produced during the Golden Age of Westerns from the late 1940s through the early 1960salso demonstrate moral bravery (the willingness to do the right thing even when met with others disapproval) and psychological bravery (the ability to overcome ones fear and inner conflict to bring out the best in oneself and others). Through a close examination of Westerns displaying all three types of bravery, the author shows us how courage can lead to, and even enrich, other virtues like redemption, authenticity, love and allegiance to ones community, justice, temperance, and growing up and growing old successfully.