True Grit

by

Charles Portis

A Texas Ranger working on “detached service” for the family of a senator whom Chaney killed several months ago. When LaBoeuf arrives in Fort Smith, he tells Mattie that he’s looking for Chaney, and Mattie tells him of her plans to hire Rooster. LaBoeuf suggests that he “throw in” with them, saying he needs a federal marshal to arrest Chaney in Indian Territory, but Mattie insists that Chaney be brought back to Fort Smith. This doesn’t sit well with LaBoeuf, since he’s been hired to bring the outlaw back to Texas. As such, he and Mattie start off on the wrong foot, and LaBoeuf goes behind her back to team up with Rooster, convincing him to ignore his deal with Mattie. When the two men set off on the manhunt, LaBoeuf finds himself overwhelmingly frustrated by the fact that Mattie follows them—so frustrated that he whips her with a switch until Rooster orders him at gunpoint to stop. Despite this initial show of contempt, LaBoeuf soon takes a liking to Mattie, insisting that she has “won her spurs” when Rooster later suggests that she stay behind on the last leg of the journey. A vain man who is disproportionately proud of his status as a ranger, LaBoeuf ends up saving Rooster’s life by shooting Lucky Ned Pepper just before the outlaw kills the fallen marshal. As he celebrates this shot, though, Chaney—who is at his side—smashes him over the head with a rock, at which point Mattie shoots the criminal and subsequently falls into a snake pit. When all is said and done and Rooster has extracted Mattie from the pit, LaBoeuf stays behind with Chaney’s body while Rooster rushes Mattie back to Fort Smith.

LaBoeuf Quotes in True Grit

The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by LaBoeuf or refer to LaBoeuf. 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 4 Quotes

“I want Chaney to pay for killing my father and not some Texas bird dog.”

“It will not be for the dog, it will be for the senator, and your father too. He will be just as dead that way, you see, and pay for all his crimes at once.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Frank Ross (Mattie’s Father), Stonehill
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

“I want him to know he is being punished for killing my father. It is nothing to me how many dogs and fat men he killed in Texas.”

“You can let him know that,” said Rooster. “You can tell him to his face. You can spit on him and make him eat sand out of the road. You can put a ball in his foot and I will hold him while you do it. But we must catch him first. We will need some help. You are being stiff-necked about this. You are young. It is time you learned that you cannot have your way in every little particular. Other people have got their interests too.”

“When I have bought and paid for something I will have my way. Why do you think I am paying you if not to have my way?”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford)
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“In my country you can ride for days and see no ground water. I have lapped filthy water from a hoofprint and was glad to have it. You don’t know what discomfort is until you have nearly perished for water.”

Rooster said, “If I ever meet one of you Texas waddies that says he never drank from a horse track I think I will shake his hand and give him a Daniel Webster cigar.”

“Then you don’t believe it?” asked LaBoeuf.

“I believed it the first twenty-five times I heard it.”

“Maybe he did drink from one,” said I. “He is a Texas Ranger.”

“Is that what he is?” said Rooster. “Well now, I can believe that.”

LaBoeuf said, “You are getting ready to show your ignorance now, Cogburn. I don’t mind a little personal chaffing but I won’t hear anything against the Ranger troop from a man like you.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker)
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:

I thought it was in LaBoeuf’s favor that his first shot had struck and killed Lucky Ned Pepper’s horse. If he had been shooting from panic would he have come so near to hitting the bandit chieftain with his first shot? On the other hand, he claimed to be an experienced officer and rifleman, and if he had been alert and had taken a deliberate shot would he not have hit his mark? Only LaBoeuf knew the truth of the matter. I grew impatient with their wrangling over the point. I think Rooster was angry because the play had been taken away from him and because Lucky Ned Pepper had beaten him once again.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:

“No, I am going along,” said I.

LaBoeuf said, “She has come this far.”

Rooster said, “It is far enough.”

I said, “Do you think I am ready to quit when we are so close?”

LaBoeuf said, “There is something in what she says, Cogburn. I think she has done fine myself. She has won her spurs, so to speak. That is just my personal opinion.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker)
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:

LaBoeuf pulled one of his revolvers and got two dodgers out of the sack and tossed them both up. He fired very rapidly but he only hit one. Captain Finch tried it with two and missed both of them. Then he tried with one and made a successful shot. Rooster shot at two and hit one. They drank whiskey and used up about sixty corn dodgers like that. None of them ever hit two at one throw with a revolver but Captain Finch finally did it with his Winchester repeating rifle, with somebody else throwing. It was entertaining for a while but there was nothing educational about it. I grew more and more impatient with them.

I said, “Come on, I have had my bait of this. I am ready to go. Shooting cornbread out here on this prairie is not taking us anywhere.”

By then Rooster was using his rifle and the captain was throwing for him. “Chunk high and not so far out this time,” said he.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf, Captain Boots Finch
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The bandit chieftain made no reply. He brushed the snow and dirt from my face and said, “Your life depends upon their actions. I have never busted a cap on a woman or anybody much under sixteen years but I will do what I have to do.”

I said, “There is some mix-up here. I am Mattie Ross of near Dardanelle, Arkansas. My family has property and I don’t know why I am being treated like this.”

Lucky Ned Pepper said, “It is enough that you know I will do what I have to do.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Lucky Ned Pepper (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Frank Ross (Mattie’s Father)
Page Number: 183
Explanation and Analysis:

Who was to blame? Deputy Marshal Rooster Cogburn! The gabbing drunken fool had made a mistake of four miles and led us directly into the robbers’ lair. A keen detective! Yes, and in an earlier state of drunkenness he had placed faulty caps in my revolver, causing it to fail me in a time of need. That was not enough; now he had abandoned me in this howling wilderness to a gang of cutthroats who cared not a rap for the blood of their own companions, and how much less for that of a helpless and unwanted youngster! Was this what they called grit in Fort Smith? We called it something else in Yell County!

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 190
Explanation and Analysis:

I hurriedly cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. The charge exploded and sent a lead ball of justice, too long delayed, into the criminal head of Tom Chaney.

Yet I was not to taste the victory. The kick of the big pistol sent me reeling backward. I had forgotten about the pit behind me!

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 204
Explanation and Analysis:
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LaBoeuf Quotes in True Grit

The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by LaBoeuf or refer to LaBoeuf. 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 4 Quotes

“I want Chaney to pay for killing my father and not some Texas bird dog.”

“It will not be for the dog, it will be for the senator, and your father too. He will be just as dead that way, you see, and pay for all his crimes at once.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Frank Ross (Mattie’s Father), Stonehill
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

“I want him to know he is being punished for killing my father. It is nothing to me how many dogs and fat men he killed in Texas.”

“You can let him know that,” said Rooster. “You can tell him to his face. You can spit on him and make him eat sand out of the road. You can put a ball in his foot and I will hold him while you do it. But we must catch him first. We will need some help. You are being stiff-necked about this. You are young. It is time you learned that you cannot have your way in every little particular. Other people have got their interests too.”

“When I have bought and paid for something I will have my way. Why do you think I am paying you if not to have my way?”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford)
Page Number: 97
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“In my country you can ride for days and see no ground water. I have lapped filthy water from a hoofprint and was glad to have it. You don’t know what discomfort is until you have nearly perished for water.”

Rooster said, “If I ever meet one of you Texas waddies that says he never drank from a horse track I think I will shake his hand and give him a Daniel Webster cigar.”

“Then you don’t believe it?” asked LaBoeuf.

“I believed it the first twenty-five times I heard it.”

“Maybe he did drink from one,” said I. “He is a Texas Ranger.”

“Is that what he is?” said Rooster. “Well now, I can believe that.”

LaBoeuf said, “You are getting ready to show your ignorance now, Cogburn. I don’t mind a little personal chaffing but I won’t hear anything against the Ranger troop from a man like you.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker)
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:

I thought it was in LaBoeuf’s favor that his first shot had struck and killed Lucky Ned Pepper’s horse. If he had been shooting from panic would he have come so near to hitting the bandit chieftain with his first shot? On the other hand, he claimed to be an experienced officer and rifleman, and if he had been alert and had taken a deliberate shot would he not have hit his mark? Only LaBoeuf knew the truth of the matter. I grew impatient with their wrangling over the point. I think Rooster was angry because the play had been taken away from him and because Lucky Ned Pepper had beaten him once again.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:

“No, I am going along,” said I.

LaBoeuf said, “She has come this far.”

Rooster said, “It is far enough.”

I said, “Do you think I am ready to quit when we are so close?”

LaBoeuf said, “There is something in what she says, Cogburn. I think she has done fine myself. She has won her spurs, so to speak. That is just my personal opinion.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf (speaker)
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:

LaBoeuf pulled one of his revolvers and got two dodgers out of the sack and tossed them both up. He fired very rapidly but he only hit one. Captain Finch tried it with two and missed both of them. Then he tried with one and made a successful shot. Rooster shot at two and hit one. They drank whiskey and used up about sixty corn dodgers like that. None of them ever hit two at one throw with a revolver but Captain Finch finally did it with his Winchester repeating rifle, with somebody else throwing. It was entertaining for a while but there was nothing educational about it. I grew more and more impatient with them.

I said, “Come on, I have had my bait of this. I am ready to go. Shooting cornbread out here on this prairie is not taking us anywhere.”

By then Rooster was using his rifle and the captain was throwing for him. “Chunk high and not so far out this time,” said he.

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn (speaker), LaBoeuf, Captain Boots Finch
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The bandit chieftain made no reply. He brushed the snow and dirt from my face and said, “Your life depends upon their actions. I have never busted a cap on a woman or anybody much under sixteen years but I will do what I have to do.”

I said, “There is some mix-up here. I am Mattie Ross of near Dardanelle, Arkansas. My family has property and I don’t know why I am being treated like this.”

Lucky Ned Pepper said, “It is enough that you know I will do what I have to do.”

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Lucky Ned Pepper (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Frank Ross (Mattie’s Father)
Page Number: 183
Explanation and Analysis:

Who was to blame? Deputy Marshal Rooster Cogburn! The gabbing drunken fool had made a mistake of four miles and led us directly into the robbers’ lair. A keen detective! Yes, and in an earlier state of drunkenness he had placed faulty caps in my revolver, causing it to fail me in a time of need. That was not enough; now he had abandoned me in this howling wilderness to a gang of cutthroats who cared not a rap for the blood of their own companions, and how much less for that of a helpless and unwanted youngster! Was this what they called grit in Fort Smith? We called it something else in Yell County!

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 190
Explanation and Analysis:

I hurriedly cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. The charge exploded and sent a lead ball of justice, too long delayed, into the criminal head of Tom Chaney.

Yet I was not to taste the victory. The kick of the big pistol sent me reeling backward. I had forgotten about the pit behind me!

Related Characters: Mattie Ross (speaker), Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf, Tom Chaney (Theron Chelmsford), Lucky Ned Pepper
Page Number: 204
Explanation and Analysis: