Shane (novel)
Shane Test Page
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| Author | Jack Schaefer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Western |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
Publication date | 1949 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 214 p. (hardback first edition) & 119 p. (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-0-553-27110-2 (paperback edition) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| OCLC | 53183237 |
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (July 2009) |
Shane is a fictional western novel. Written in 1949 by Jack Schaefer, it his greatest novel. Initially published in 1946 in three parts in Argosy Magazine. Originally titled 'Rider from Nowhere.'[1] The novelization was translated into over 30 languages.[2]
Plot
The story is set 19th century Wyoming when it was still open to the Homestead Act of 1862. It is narrated by the homesteader's son Bob. The original unclaimed land was used by a cattle driver named Luke Fletcher before the homestead was claimed by Bob's father, Joe Starrett along with many other homesteaders. Luke Fletcher settled there first, although only so much land could be claimed as a homestead (only 160 acres). Luke Fletcher's herd is at the verge of expanding to the point which the homesteads in the area are proving to be an interference. Shane is the mysterious stranger who comes into the lives of the homesteaders. He is tougher than the farmers who homestead the land. He helps them avoid the intimidation to abandon their farms to Fletcher. With Shane's help the farmers are able to resist Fletcher. Shane kills Fletcher in self defence.
Characters
- Shane – is the title character.
- Bob Starrett – is Joe Starret's son. He is eleven years old. He is the protagonist.
- Joe Starrett – is Bob's father. He is a former cattle driver. He is a homesteader and a farmer.
- Luke Fletcher – is 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.
- Marian Starrett – is Joe Starrett's wife.
- Chris – is one of Fletcher's cowboys who intimidates the homesteaders.
- Stark Wilson – is a gunslinger hired by Fletcher to intimidate the homesteaders and kill Shane. He is killed in a shoot-out with Shane in the saloon.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- 1953 film Shane, starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and directed by George Stevens
- 1966 television series Shane, starring David Carradine and directed by Herschel Daugherty and Gary Nelson
References
- ^ Wheeler, Richard S. (26 December 2007). "Shane by Jack Schaefer". Saddlebums Western Review. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ Wheeler