Essay Questions

What is the meaning behind the Sheriff asking the police officer if he has any gum after Jack rides off?

The police officer begins to look for gum in his jacket then realizes he doesn't buy gum. The Sheriff tells him to stop looking for it then. The simple lines represent how the world no longer buys the cowboy nor the old west so, with the Sheriff and his men representing the new world they must stop searching for the cowboy. He is a man out of time that isn't of use to the world any longer, and the Sheriff knows it. This is why he calls the search off.

What is the symbolism in seeing the three jets fly over Jack in the beginning of the film?

Jack is a cowboy awaking from a sleep in the desert at the opening of the picture. We appear to be in a time that relates to the 1800s, but we then see the jets fly overhead. The symbol is that Jack is a man that belongs to an era long past, and that he is in opposition to this new world. Thus, this becomes the major conflict of the film.

What is the significance of Jack getting away from the police and then being hit by a tractor trailer?

Jack for the final third of the film is being chased by the police after escaping from prison. He is able to get away but is hit by a truck while trying to cross a busy road. The symbolism in this is that Jack is a man that can escape men as they are represented by the lawmen coming after him. But, he cannot escape the unstoppable force of society advancing, moving forward and pummeling everything in its path, including any old ways of living. This is why we see the tractor trailer driving so fast throughout the film. It represents the new world advancing with such force that it cannot be slowed down.