not murder Raylan in Nicaragua, he is willing to allow Bucks to keep his life, as long as
he departs Raylan’s jurisdiction. Slotkin continues his discussion of the post-World War
II Western, noting two types that were developed during this period, one of which he
calls the “‘gunfighter’ Western”;; here, “professionalism in the arts of violence is the
hero’s defining characteristic (379). Raylan has given Bucks the opportunity to handle
their dispute privately and honorably. In his manner of thinking, once Bucks leaves
Miami, the community will be safe; significantly, this protective behavior continues once
he reaches Kentucky. Since Bucks refuses, Raylan now turns to the ability which makes
him and the gunfighter figure famous.
Joseph G. Rosa asserts that the “old-time gunfighter” figure is constructed by the
media as an individual who represent good in the fight against evil (With Badges 38).
According to Slotkin, “A single element of the Western is isolated from its original
context and made the subject of exaggerated attention and concern, even to the point of
fetishization . . . The new figure of the ‘gunfighter’ similarly exaggerates a skill that had
been merely one of the standard attributes of all cowboy heroes” (380). The ability to
which Slotkin refers is marksmanship (380). Throughout the series, Raylan’s
extraordinary shooting ability is repeatedly emphasized. In fact, Raylan was a firearms
instructor at Glynco, which is where he met his future supervisor, Chief Deputy US
Marshal Art Mullen. It is also this aptness in marksmanship that is a point of contention
for Art and Raylan and results in many characters commenting that it will one day lead
to Raylan’s demise.
By opening the series with the famed Western shootout, Raylan immediately
solidifies his place as the gunfighter. Bucks, in an attempt to best Raylan, draws his gun
first. Joseph G. Rosa comments, “Hickok, regarded by many as the archetypal
gunfighter, earned a reputation as one who always ‘has got his man’” (38). As the
gunfighter, Raylan is a crack shot; he shoots Bucks three times and survives the
encounter both victorious and righteous. Raylan firmly asserts that the ultimatum and its
subsequent results were necessary for the good of the community. Rosa continues his
discussion of Hickok as gunfighter noting that Hickok and other lawmen were mainly
concerned with the transgression of laws rather than “morals”, unless the two
intersected (38). The issue is that Raylan resides in contemporary society and he
appears much like the Old West gunfighter (Rosa 38): during his questioning after the
incident, his supervisor in Miami, Chief Deputy US Marshal Dan Grant, tells him, “You
do know that we’re not allowed to shoot people on sight anymore and haven’t been for,
oh I don’t know, maybe a hundred years” (“Fire in the Hole”). For many years, execution
in American and England were public events, appearing not only as warnings, but also
as entertainment. Contained within the Renaissance tragedy play is the notion that
violence in the form of revenge is acceptable as long as it is for the good of the
community. Despite some similarities, Justified cannot be categorized as the “revenger
Western” (Slotkin 381). While Raylan does seek revenge on occasion, this is not his
primary motivation. While revenge does drive some of Raylan’s actions, it is the desire
for good that reigns supreme over Raylan. The issue is that what Raylan believes is
just, does not necessarily coincide with conventional societal beliefs.
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