JaniceAntal

The Men of Cloudy Mountain, CA

I am going to discuss the 2 main men in this play, who are Jack Rance and Dick Johnson. The reason I chose to talk about the men and not the girl was because I think that the girl revolves around the mens' actions. If the men would not come and see her at the Polka and ask her to kiss them or marry them there would be nothing exciting and suspensful about this play. Well I guess for the guys in our class the fact of being chased by the law and almost killed is enough action for them.

The first man we encounter in this play is Jack Rance. Now when I first read about him I felt that he was the cocky, "I'm the Best", has to have what he wants guy. He has his heart set on marrying the Girl, even though he was already married to another woman back in New Orleans. When I read that line I seriously said to myself, "What a dirt bag! I don't care how far away she is you are still married and that's that!" The Girl knows that he is married and refuses to kiss him. I believe that he feels she is playing hard to get, because he can't believe she would not want him for a husband. He asks her to marry him and she doesn't give him an answer. He begins to feel guilty for himself to make her feel bad. He then begins to guilt her into liking him. With the quote, "But once when I rode in here, it was nothing but Jack -- Jack -- Jack -- Jack -- Jack Rance! God! I nearly got you then." "Did you?" "Then you went to Sacramento and Monterey...and you changed..." He is basically trying to manipulate her into marriage because he can't deal with the fact that someone does not want Jack
Rance.

Then in walks Dick Johnson, a new man in town. People are suspisous of him because they do not know of his business in Couldy Mountain. She sees him and she becomes almost intrigued by him. This makes Rance frurious. He does not understand how a complete stranger can walk in and have her fall head over heals, and he can know her for years and she still won't marry him. The Girl and Johnson strike up a conversation about how they met on the road to Monterey. Johnson states how he has thought about her all the time and this drives Rance crazy. He tries to change the subject by yelling at him to state his business being here. Rance wants Johnson run out of town because he feels threaten by him. The Girl comes to Johnson's defense and saves him.

Johnson is actually Ramerrez, an outlaw/greaser that the sheriff (Rance) is looking for. He has to conceal his secret to the Girl because I feel he does not want to put her in harms way. I think he knows by coming into the Polka he is risking his safety. I don't think that his intentions of going into the Polka was to rekindle his love for the Girl but to see what Rance's plan of action was to capture him. The fact that the Girl owned the Polka was fate. He knows by her being here that it will complicate the situation. He says, " Johnson, what the devil's the matter with you?" because he can't believe he still has these feelings for her and is willing to give up everything for her.

Later Johnson goes over to the Girl's home in the moutains to see her because he just has to; he can't stop thinking of her. He loves her andgives her true loves kiss. However Rance catches him there and he is enraged for two reasons: 1) because Johnson is there to steal the heart of the Girl and 2) because Johnson is Ramerrez, the outlaw he is looking for. However the Girl hides Johnson because she truely loves him and only him. The Girl pleas with Rance to let Johnson/Ramerrez alone, but Rance is out to find him and hang him. I think that this is because of jealously and the fact that he is the sheriff. The Girl makes a bet with Rance. She says that if Rance can beat her at 3 games of poker she will marry him. But if the Girl beats Rance he must leave both her and Johnson alone. He agrees because of his attiude that he's the best and he thinks that she can't beat him. She does win and Rance leaves.

Rance goes back on his bet and arrests Johnson/Ramerrez later. I feel that he does this because he is still trying to abide by the law and his word. The Girl comes when she finds out and tells Rance to let him go. Rance is hesitant. Johnson just wants to tell the girl good bye and accepts the fact that he will never be with her. This shows that he loves her so much that he sacrifices everything for her; a sign of true love. I think that Rance finally lets him go because he realizes his loss and will never get the Girl. This is a big step for him because he is realizing that he can't always get what he wants.

Questions:

1.) What do you think would have happened if the Girl lost the poker game? Do you think she cheated/she knew she would win? Do you think it was a smart move on her part?

2.) Do you think that Rance let Johnson go because he loved the Girl and wanted her to be happy or do you think that he finally accepted his loss?

3.) Do you think that Johnson came into the Polka just to see what Rance was up too or to see the Girl again?

Posted by JaniceAntal at November 10, 2004 02:18 PM