The Stereotypical Marshall of the West :: American History Essays

The Stereotypical Marshall of the West The west was a rough and rugged era that needed taming. It was a time of outlaws, gunfights, and cowboys. Some sort of order had to be enforced so that the west could become a productive safe place for everyone. The best way for that to happen was to bring in law enforcement. Someone to be in charge and make things run smoothly. Matt Dillon from the show Gunsmoke was the answer to this problem. He brought balance to the west. Dillon was the Marshall to the city of Dodge. He had all of the characteristics that a Marshall would need to possess in order to keep a city like Dodge to run without too many problems. Dillon was so good at what he did because he was cautious, caring, and honorable. One of the most important characteristics of a lawman back in the western days was to be cautious. Without caution one could get oneself in a lot of trouble. Matt Dillon made sure to show caution in everything he did. He portrayed that in all of his episodes of Gunsmoke. In the episode Crack Up he had to show a large amount of caution. Matt Dillon was faced with an outlaw. A man who was hired specifically to kill people. Marshall Dillon had a few run-ins with the man before he found out the outlaw was after him. Dillon made sure he knew were the outlaw was at all times and personally kept a close watch on him. Being cautious ended up saving his life. The episode ended with a gunfight between Dillon and the outlaw. Matt already new what was going to happen and was prepared for the event because he had been cautious and made sure he new the where a bouts of the outlaw. While being cautious Marshall Dillon had a soft side to him. As the lawman of the area he had to show a tough exterior but inside he was a caring guy. In the episode Kitty Lost Ms. Kitty disappears and no one knows were she has gone. After finding out that she had not shown u for any of her appointments that day Marshall Dillon went out looking for her with his partner Chester. When they found her Dillon did not get mad at her for disappearing but just made sure she was okay and did not ask a lot of questions about what had happened.