The document discusses John Ford's 1956 Western film The Searchers and how it confronts the virulent racism and genocide against indigenous peoples that was necessary for the establishment of the territorial United States. It notes a quote from Robert B. Pippin about the racist character of Ethan, played by John Wayne, and how the film depicts two massacres, the death of Martha, and Ethan's desire to kill Debbie after she was captured by Comanches. It also lists various plot points and lines from the film involving borders, marriages, and the characters crossing over or recognizing borders.

1. The Searchers

2. The Western as Myth
“ . . . in The Searchers (dir. John Ford, 1956)
there is a direct confrontation with the fact that
the origin of the territorial U.S. rested on a
virulent racism and genocidal war against
aboriginal peoples, a war that would not have
been possible and perhaps would not have been
won without the racist hatred of characters like
the John Wayne character.”
- Robert B. Pippin, “What Is a Western? Politics and Self-Knowledge in
John Ford’s The Searchers,” Critical Inquiry 35.2 (2009)

3. Parallels in The Searchers

4. First shot

5. Last shot

6. Two massacres

8. Death of Martha

9. Death of Look

10. Ethan and Scar

11. Ethan and Marty flee Indians

12. Debbie flees Ethan

13. Mis-recognizing Debbie

14. Recognizing Debbie

15. The Edwards home

17. The Jorgensen home

19. “They ain’t white. Anymore.”

20. “Do you know what Ethan will do if has the chance? He’ll put a bullet in her
brain. I tell you Martha would want him to”

21. Borders

23. Marty crosses the border

24. The border as farce

25. Marriages on the Border
Debbie and Scar
Marty and Look
Marty and Laurie