Characters :

• shane 

   a mysterious gunslinger who enters into the life of Joe Starrett and his family and carves a place for himself in their hearts. Although he tries to leave his gunslinging past behind, refusing to even carry a gun, he decides to fight Fletcher, the town nemesis, in order to save Joe Starrett’s farm.

• Bob Starrett

Joe Starrett’s son. He is eleven years old. He is the protagonist.

• Joe Starrett 

      Bob’s Starrett’s father. He is a former cattle driver. He is a homesteader and a farmer.

• Marian Starrett

Joe Starrett’s wife.

• Luke Fletcher

     the antagonist. He is set on purchasing or stealing all the land rights from the homesteaders and farmers.            When the homesteaders refuse he resorts to intimidation and deadly force.

• Chris

      is one of Fletcher’s cowhands who intimidates the homesteaders

• Stark Wilson

      is a gunslinger hired by Fletcher to intimidate the homesteaders and kill those who refuse to sell their land.         He kills Ernie Wright.

• Ernie Wright

one of Stark Wilson’s victims.

• Mr.Grafton

the general store owner who witnesses the fight with Shane involved.

• Will Atkey

      the bartender at Mr. Grafton’s general store.

summary:

The novel opens with the entrance of a mysterious stranger into the life of Joe Starrett, a moral, hardworking Wyoming farmer. The stranger reveals little about himself except that his name is Shane. Joe, however, trusts the man and offers to let him stay on the farm. Before long, Shane becomes a part of the household. To Joe, he is a worker and friend on whom he can rely. To Joe’s son, Bob, he becomes a hero. To Joe’s wife, Marian, Shane becomes a dear companion.

While staying on the farm, Shane fights his own emotional torment. He longs to settle down as a farmer and forget his past deeds as a gunman, which haunt him. When he learns about the tensions in the village, he does not want to become involved, fearing his own reactions. He cannot, however, stand by and let Fletcher, a wealthy and greedy villager, seize the land of Joe and the other farmers who have homesteaded their farms. In the end, he decides he must use his ability as a gunman to fight for Joe and protect his farm. Although he realizes that his involvement will probably end in bloodshed, he feels his must prove his loyalty and friendship to Joe.

The duel takes place in the saloon. Shane first shoots and kills Wilson, Fletcher’s assistant. When Fletcher fires on Shane and injures him, he kills Fletcher as well. Fearing he will never again be accepted or trusted in the valley, Shane decides to leave immediately, without even saying goodbye to the Starrett family that he has come to love.

Joe and Marian are crushed that Shane departs without even saying farewell or allowing them to say thanks for saving their farm; but they know that Shane has positively touched their lives forever.

setting :

The novel is set in the early twentieth century in a Wyoming valley, where the pace of life is simple and slow and the inhabitants are moral and ethical. Joe Starrett is a homesteader farmer in the valley, and much of the novel takes place in and around his farm. Other than the rural farm setting, the novel only portrays the town saloon, where the local men gather and relax. Shane, a mysterious gunman, comes to the valley and leaves an indelible mark on the people, especially on the Starrett family.

protagonist : 

 Shane; Joe Starrett

major conflict :

The Starretts’ refusal to sell their land to Fletcher and the resulting confrontation with Fletcher and his men

rising action :

Shane’s decision to ride into town to take care of Chris after realizing that his decision not to fight was plaguing all of the homesteaders, especially Joe

climax :

The fight in which Fletcher’s men gang up against Shane; some also consider the fight between Shane and Stark Wilson as the climax.

falling action :

After the fight with Wilson, Shane’s brief conversation with Bob about having to leave because killing “marks” a man, no matter the circumstances

themes:

Coming of age; what it means to be a man; different kinds of danger, different kinds of fear

motifs :

Loyalty; vigilance; love of a different name

symbols :

The tree stump; the fence post; Shane’s gun

foreshadowing :

Bob uncovering Shane’s particularly dangerous looking gun; Shane’s many predictions about Fletcher’s tactics-such as predicting that Fletcher would goad Ernie and then Joe; Joe and Shane’s unending wariness

Shane Movie Trailer :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3TdKDHU3pA

♦ the end ♦