The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark

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Description:

A psychological study of civilized individuals in an uncivilized society, this famous American Western examines human motivations, responsibility, and conscience. The action focuses on resolving a murder/cattle rustling incident in Bridger’s Wells, Nevada. Judicial methodology is a major point of dissension as posse members allow themselves to be led by Major Tetley, a man obsessed with applying the lynch law of “Texas Justice” to the accused rustlers. Only after a tragic error is committed and three men are unjustly hanged does each posse member come face-to-face with his individual responsibility and guilt in these unlawful executions.

Activities:

Students study literary craftsmanship; interpret themes; examine imagery, symbols, conflict, plot structure, setting, denouement, character motives, and profiles; distinguish between circumstantial evidence and hard evidence; draw conclusions; and distinguish forms of figurative language. Three lessons include reading, writing, investigating, calculating, mapping, and graphing activities that give students insight into events that dominated the concerns of the western settlers of the late nineteenth century.

Supplementary materials feature a vocabulary supplement, test, and answer key.

Ethical Values: