Levi-Strauss Theory: Analysis of "Pale Rider"

In “Pale Rider” there are many opposites between the cowboys attacking the settlement and the inhabitants that show they are against each other and furthermore, which side is evil:

Calmness of the mountains - The noisy urgency of the cowboys

Calmness of the settlement’s inhabitants - The noisy urgency of the cowboys

Fear of the inhabitants - Confidence and joy of the cowboys

Primitive tools of people e.g. bow and arrow - Guns of the cowboys

People’s disorientation - Cowboys’ composure

There are also the binary opposites of before and after the attack:

Organisation of the settlement - Disorder of the settlement afterwards

Noise of the attack - Silence afterwards

Sun before (positive connotations) - rain afterwards (bad connotations)

There are also differences between the town and the settlements that tell the audience that the town and the settlement are against each other (or the town is against the settlement):

Better quality buildings in town - shacks in the settlement

Culture in town - the settlement must pay in basic gold, nothing civilised like money

During the fight there are also clear opposites:

Peace of man - aggression of cowboys

Fists of man (loses) - Sticks (wins)

Saviour’s stick (wins) - Guns (loses)

Water - Fire

It is interesting that the sticks beat the man being attacked but once his saviour takes a stick he can still defeat the guns, even though they are better and more advanced.