Note on The Way West by A B Guthrie

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• published: 06 Nov 2016
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The Way West by A. B. Guthrie Wonderful, exhilarating story This is an outstanding book about courage, determination, resilience, discovery, grit, kindness and tenacity. The other side of human beings is also present, with treachery, cruelty, avarice, arrogance, lust and pure evil. I am developing an interest in “Injuns”, if my latest favorites are anything to go by, where Native Americans are at center stage. It is true that in The Way West the white folks are more or less taking the territory from the “Injuns” who are perceived as an enemy. When they do not present a threat, they are often treated with arrogance or worse, as primitive beings. That would be the downside of this novel I guess, which otherwise has a splendid story to tell, with good people that we tend to identify with. There are some, like Tadlock, who immediately show their colors and I kept my fingers crossed that they lose. It is a traditional fight of good versus evil, with complex characters, where the named Tadlock is not really pure devil. Lije Evans and Dick Summers have their own shortcomings, depending on what you look for, or they could appear near perfect. The preacher who takes the ride west to Oregon is unhappy with Summers, on account of his lack of faith. But apart from his lack of belief in an Almighty God, Dick Summers is as good as any hero- James Bond, The Revenant and others included. Then there is a younger generation, with Mercy McBee and Brownie Evans at center stage, with again a complex relationship. They all leave Missouri to go out West, as it is plain from the title. The road is difficult and people, cattle, dogs die on the road, where they meet Cheyenne, Sioux and other tribes. Mack is one of the ambiguous personages, with some good traits about him and a subconscious that overrules him, if we are to give attenuating circumstances for two major harms that he does- killing an Indian and the other I will just keep quiet about. A total failure and a really vicious, evil man is McBee, who takes pleasure in causing suffering and mischief. Killing an innocent animal is to me as low as one can get and I foresee a future where generations will look upon us with contempt. The way we see slave traders and owners, who abused human beings, this is how others will regard us, because of the mistreatment of animals. The book is depicting without resorting to aggrandizing, making heroes that are bigger than life and shooting a coin from a mile. What is spectacular about these people- I mean the crème de la crème, not Tadlock and McBee- is especially the fact that they are ordinary, uneducated men and women, who take such a fantastic task and do all they can to see a happy ending to it. They are brave and industrious, they work hard and endure thirst, overpowering heat and mosquitos, rapid rivers and death along the way, some of them trust their God, but still travel on a Sabbath, to the chagrin of their accompanying priest. Exhilarating and beautiful saga. I am here is what some condemned Native Americans shouted before being summarily hanged by the White Man…not in this excellent book, but I have been reminded of the drama by the attitude of some of the loathsome men that went on The Way West