The Cattle Drive’s Changing West

The Power of the Dog (Thomas Savage Edition)

This flow traces Phil’s attachment to an older ranch culture as automobiles, new workers, and altered social habits encroach on it.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Old Trail The Old Trail from "The Power of the Dog". The Old Trail Ranch Life as Identity Phil remembers long cattle drives, horseback travel, and the authority of skilled cowboys.

The Old Trail from "The Power of the Dog". The Old Trail Ranch Life as Identity Phil remembers long cattle drives, horseback travel, and the authority of skilled cowboys.

The Old Trail Ranch Life as Identity Phil remembers long cattle drives, horseback travel, and the authority of skilled cowboys. He measures people against the standards of the years when Bronco Henry was alive. A Selective Past His nostalgia gives continuity to his life, but it also turns change into a personal affront. The past is less a historical period than a standard he uses to rank others.

Automobiles Enter the Herd Automobiles Enter the Herd from "The Power of the Dog". Automobiles Enter the Herd A Moving Intrusion Cars push through the cattle during the annual drive, and Phil resents the noise and danger.

Automobiles Enter the Herd from "The Power of the Dog". Automobiles Enter the Herd A Moving Intrusion Cars push through the cattle during the annual drive, and Phil resents the noise and danger.

Automobiles Enter the Herd A Moving Intrusion Cars push through the cattle during the annual drive, and Phil resents the noise and danger. George argues that people must adapt to the times. Brothers on Opposite Sides The disagreement reflects their different instincts: Phil protects inherited custom, while George accepts practical change. Their exchange foreshadows the larger conflict over Rose’s place in the family.

New Cowboys Arrive New Cowboys Arrive from "The Power of the Dog". New Cowboys Arrive A Different Style Younger hands wear fashionable clothes, follow movie stars, and order expensive boots.

New Cowboys Arrive from "The Power of the Dog". New Cowboys Arrive A Different Style Younger hands wear fashionable clothes, follow movie stars, and order expensive boots.

New Cowboys Arrive A Different Style Younger hands wear fashionable clothes, follow movie stars, and order expensive boots. Phil interprets these details as proof that they no longer understand the work. Respect and Contempt Despite his mockery, Phil feels affection for the young men and recognizes they are the best available. His attitude shows that nostalgia can coexist with a reluctant willingness to adapt.

Farmers Change the Range Farmers Change the Range from "The Power of the Dog". Farmers Change the Range Fences Across the Land Dryland farmers’ fences force the cattle trail to zigzag.

Farmers Change the Range from "The Power of the Dog". Farmers Change the Range Fences Across the Land Dryland farmers’ fences force the cattle trail to zigzag.

Farmers Change the Range Fences Across the Land Dryland farmers’ fences force the cattle trail to zigzag. Phil sees the farms as a disruption of open range and resents the people who settled there. A Contradiction in Phil He sometimes recognizes that the farmers are human and that failed settlements make him think. Yet he still blames them for not understanding the land before they arrived.

The Ranch Culture Exposed The Ranch Culture Exposed from "The Power of the Dog". The Ranch Culture Exposed A New Generation Phil’s stories about old cowboys shape how the hands treat Peter when he arrives.

The Ranch Culture Exposed from "The Power of the Dog". The Ranch Culture Exposed A New Generation Phil’s stories about old cowboys shape how the hands treat Peter when he arrives.

The Ranch Culture Exposed A New Generation Phil’s stories about old cowboys shape how the hands treat Peter when he arrives. The culture’s ideals become tools for policing who belongs among the men. Change Becomes Conflict Peter’s endurance challenges Phil’s assumption that toughness has one outward form. The ranch’s old code is exposed as both a source of solidarity and an instrument of exclusion.

Before 1924

Autumn 1924

The 1924 cattle drive

Summer 1925

During haying season 1925