are advocated to accomplish this end, as the character of Ranse Stoddard, played by James
Stewart, advocates for law, education and civility, while that of Tom Doniphon, played by John
Wayne, believes the gun and violence are the means by which the West will be won. As is the
case in Sergeant Rutledge, the film Liberty Valence concerns itself with the theme of war; in
this case, a war waged between white men for control of the town of Shinbone. However, Ford
uses the character of Pompey to highlight allegiance and the loyalty of a black man in the face
of blatant racial injustice. In order to appreciate and comprehend Ford’s subtle critique of
racism within Liberty Valence, one must focus on the scenes in which Pompey, who is
essentially Tom Doniphon’s “Man Friday,” appears, usually at Doniphon’s side. It is he who
serves as Doniphon’s farm hand, side-kick, and keeper, helping his employer protect the lawabiding white citizens of Shinbone, a town in the midst of the territory. Yet, it is also Pompey
whose character more is perhaps revealing as any other in the film, in that it is through this
character—and through a close examination of the scenes in which he appears—that this
“Western” becomes also a film which poignantly addresses the topic of racism and the
ostracism experienced by black settlers who were part of the western saga.
As Kalinak observes, “Two Rode Together shares with other late Ford westerns, such
as The Searchers, Sergeant Rutledge, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and Cheyenne
Autumn, a revisionary impulse to take account of what is usually repressed when the dominant
culture controls the historical narrative of the American West” (187). It is through the role of
Pompey that Ford offers up an insightful critique of racism, one which is “embedded” within the
film. Prior to examining Liberty Valence, a bit more closely, it would be helpful to turn to the
work of Toni Morrison to discuss a concept which will be beneficial in addressing the image
and role of Strode in this (and other) Ford films. In her work, Playing in the Dark, Morrison
speaks of a “dark, abiding, signing Africanist presence” (5). The utilization and evocation of the
“Africanist presence" is precisely what is occurring in both of these films, perhaps more
powerfully and subtly in Liberty Valence, but also very clearly in the courtroom scenes in
Rutledge which is, after all, a film about racial alienation and prejudice. Liberty Valence is not,
at least on the surface, but the characterization of Strode as a “dark, abiding, signing”
presence in Liberty Valence is in some ways more powerful because it is not on the surface a
film about race. Instead, it is about identity—the American identity, writ large, and the means
by which the West can be tamed and our country, our nation, can be realized. There are
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