The Ramifications of the West ‘The Girl at Cabe Ranch’ focuses on three main characters, Harris, Sidonie Cabe, and Dr. Powell, whom all associate themselves to the West. Whether it is by living environment or by hometown, each identifies with the western lifestyle. Not only can Harris relate to the West’s customs, he is also part of its customs. He is a cowboy. Sidonie Cabe does not share this relationship with the West, but she has a profound connection to it. She has two very opposite feelings for the West, love and hatred. Dr. Powell, knowing the West only as his hometown, comes back only to find he loves the West he once hated.Harris embodies the western cowboy appearance. He “… [wears] an old Stetson Double X with the wings folded up rodeo style.” Dr. Powell comments on how the boy was ‘nice looking, neat around the neck, and his hair was clean.’ Generally, these comments reiterate the fact that he is a cowboy. He continues to associate himself with the West by his demeanor. For example, he is a man characterized by his good sense of direction. In fact, a lady at the Chamber of Commerce even says that he is ‘known in Toller as someone that knew the country better than anyone.’ He suggests that Dr. Powell and him ‘go in his old pickup truck,’ because ‘the roads might be a little hard on’ the Chrysler. These few phrases verify the exaggerated sense of masculinity manifested within Harris. To the reader, he assumes an arrogant role. Harris’s recurring arrogance appears in the following conversation: “I don’t think I’d want to live out there, even if I owned it all,” Dr. Powell said. “He doesn’t own it all. He’s got two brothers own part of it.” Powell replies, “well, I wouldn’t want to live on it if I had ten brothers.” Harris says, “he’s just got two...
