True Grit

by

Charles Portis

A nonfictional outlaw, and the older brother of the notorious Jesse James. Like Rooster, Frank James was part of William Quantrill’s group of guerilla soldiers, who fought against pro-Union forces during and after the Civil War. As part of this group, he took part in the infamous Lawrence Massacre in 1863, in which roughly 200 civilians were murdered. Later, he and his brother lived as bandits, perpetrating a number of violent robberies. After Jesse died in 1882, Frank gave himself over to the authorities and spent less than two years in jail. In True Grit, Rooster works with Frank in his old age, as both men join a traveling circus because of their widely known reputations. When Mattie comes to visit Rooster at this circus, she meets Frank but calls him “trash.”

Frank James Quotes in True Grit

The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by Frank James or refer to Frank James. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

These old-timers had all fought together in the border strife under Quantrill’s black standard, and afterward led dan­gerous lives, and now this was all they were fit for, to show themselves to the public like strange wild beasts of the jungle.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, William Quantrill, Frank James, Cole Younger
Page Number: 222
Explanation and Analysis:
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True Grit PDF

Frank James Quotes in True Grit

The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by Frank James or refer to Frank James. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

These old-timers had all fought together in the border strife under Quantrill’s black standard, and afterward led dan­gerous lives, and now this was all they were fit for, to show themselves to the public like strange wild beasts of the jungle.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, William Quantrill, Frank James, Cole Younger
Page Number: 222
Explanation and Analysis: