Poty is a Pony

"The daughter of Araken then went and sat afar off on the root of a tree, like the solitary doe who has been driven forth from the sunny plain by her ungrateful mate. The Pytiguára warrior disappeared in the thickest of the foliage." (Alencar, Iracema, 60)

AWKWARD!!!! That feeling when the third wheel is witnessing a lovers' quarrel, blech. I would disappear too. But I'm not really blogging about this. I just needed to get that out...

"Hunting and excursions in the mountains with his friend by his side, the tender caresses of the wife awaiting his return. . . " (Alencar, Iracema, 83)

Professor Mack asked last week if there were any Louis L'amour fans in the class. I do like Louis L'amour but my mind was having a debate if I met the qualifications to be a fan or not and my opportunity to be one passed. But I think it brought cowboys to the front of my mind so when I read this line, all I could think of was this nice cowboy song I like from the John Wayne movie, Rio Bravo, that demonstrates this idea of being a manly man with his pal while his sweetheart waits faithfully at home.

It connects like this. Martim is the cowboy. Poty is his faithful pony pal (not much personality, but always reliable and he's there right when you need him). Iracema is obviously his sweet darlin'. Obviously. And his rifle...is...his...bow and arrow. Yeah, I don't know if that's as cool as a rifle but there it is.

What is it that romanticizes this idea of going out in the frontier with your weapons and your sidekick? I mean, I love westerns but I want to know why this concept is so appealing. There's this part of my brain that thinks that secretly all men would love to be a cowboy. I know my brothers would. Why do men love this idea so much? Why is it so manly?

Aaaand, why does Martim tire of it??? Is he not a real man? Or could it be it's because he was induced into this life by Iracema? Questions, questions...