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Old Folks in the New West: Surviving Change and Staying Fit in The Misfits
- Western American Literature
- The Western Literature Association
- Volume 37, Number 1, Spring 2002
- pp. 26-50
- 10.1353/wal.2002.0012
- Article
- Additional Information
- Purchase/rental options available:
O l d F o l k s in t h e N e w W e s t : S u r v i v i n g C h a n g e a n d S t a y i n g F i t in T h e M i s f i t s C h e r y l l G l o t f e l t y I m a g in e t h a t y o u w a n t t o m a r r y M a r ily n M o n r o e . I m a g in e t h a t sh e is w illin g . F ir st y o u m u st d iv o r c e y o u r p r e se n t w ife . S o y o u t a k e a t e m p o r a r y le a v e fr o m N e w Y o r k C i t y a n d e st a b lish r e sid e n c y in R e n o , N e v a d a , a six - w e e k in v e st m e n t t h a t b u y s y o u r fr e e d o m . I m a g in e t h a t y o u a r e a w r ite r . I t w as u n d e r t h e se c ir c u m st a n c e s t h a t a u t h o r a n d p la y w r ig h t A r t h u r M ille r c o m p o se d a sh o r t st o r y t it le d “T h e M isfit s,” p u b lish e d in 1 9 5 7 in E sq u ir e . T h e sto r y , su b t it le d “C h i c k e n fe e d : t h e la st fr o n t ie r o f t h e q u ix o t ic c o w b o y ,” is se t in R e n o a n d t h e d e se r t s su r r o u n d in g it a n d fo c u se s o n a g r o u p o f m u st a n g e r s, c o w b o y s w h o c a p t u r e w ild h o r se s. B o t h t h e m u st a n g s a n d t h e c o w b o y s a r e m isfit s, t h e h o r se s b e c a u se t h e r e a r e o n ly a h a n d fu l o f t h e m le ft o n t h e r a n g e , t h e c o w b o y s b e c a u se Le w H y m e r s. “H O O R A Y .1 I ’M A F R E E W O M A N !" 1 9 4 5 . P o st c ar d . Sp e c ia l C o lle c t io n s, U n iv e r sit y o f N e v a d a - R e n o Lib r ar y . Cher y l l Gl ot f el t y t h e r e a r e o n ly a h a n d fu l o f t h...
