The don't ruin her character at all. They are perfectly consistent with it. Frank James might have been elderly, but he was also a criminal, who was now touring the country and profiting off the reputation he had gained as a criminal. About 20 people were killed by the James-Younger gang. It's no wonder that a staunch law and order personality like Mattie regarded Frank James as trash. Of course she would have. She didn't look at Rooster Cogburn that way because, although he had engaged in a bit of outlawry himself, as he admitted to her during the movie (and which she strongly disapproved of, you may remember), he was also acting as a lawman when she met him -- to her that was bound to look like an act of redemption. Also, he was helping her personally, and despite his considerable flaws, he was courageous to an extreme -- he displayed "true grit," which she admired, and was personally witness to. Rooster, by both working on behalf of law and order, and displaying great personal courage in so doing, earned her respect and admiration. Frank James, by contrast, was just a murderous ex-con who was touring the country making money off his infamous reputation. Of course she thought poorly of him. And of course a no-nonsense, plain-speaking woman like Mattie didn't hesitate to express the contempt she felt; whatever else she might have been, shy, reticent, or unsure of herself she was not. It all makes perfect sense considering both her character and personality, and the prevailing morals of the era.
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TearofLys (2399)
3 years ago
but Cole Younger was also a notorious outlaw grifting off of his notoriety. Perhaps it was because Cole never murdered anyone and served his time, while James did murder people and for the most part, got away with it.
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