The Theme of Marriage in The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Essay

Joseph Sharp

9/28/11

English 1302

The Theme of Marriage in Cranes The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky

Jack who is the main character of Stephen Cranes The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, rides on a train bound for his hometown. He is going to the town of Yellow Sky with his new bride which none of the town people know about. He is extremely anxious and nervous to arrive at Yellow Sky with his bride. He is worried because he is the town Marshal and he feels like he has betrayed his friends and fellow town people which, none of them have any idea about his new bride. He felt like he had committed and extraordinary crime (300).

The saloon in Yellow Sky named Weary Gentlemen saloon is the next set of events. A barkeeper, drummer, three Texans, and two Mexican sheep-herders were the only people in the saloon. All of a sudden a young man barges in with news of a man named Scratchy Wilson being drunk and on a rampage. The drummer who was new to the land asked question after question wanting to get every bit of knowledge about what was going to happen. After the barkeeper telling that Scratchy is going to be heavy on the trigger the drummer does not talk as much. The drummer is learning the ways of the west first hand and he is very anxious to know more. The barkeeper tells the drummer to get behind the bar because Scratchy has shot holes through the big door before. The author is giving the reader a lot of suspense here. The reader wondering what is going to happen next? What is Scratchy going to do? Next the barkeeper tells about Jack Potter he is the one who fights Scratchy and everyone is wishing he was there. I wish Jack Potter was back from San Anton, said the barkeeper. He shot Wilson up once-in the leg-and he would sail in a pull out the kinks in this thing.(303).

The author then explains Scratchy Wilson given the reader the whole picture of him. His clothes were kind of a joke. The author wants us to think of Scratchy as kind of a funny character. Scratch wears a maroon-colored flannel shirt, which he had purchased as a decoration, made by Jewish women on the East Side of New York. This is all put into the reading by the author to give the reader a joking matter of Scratchy Wilson.

Potter finally arrives at Yellow Sky with his bride. They are both very nervous as they step off of the train. As they walked around a corner the new bride of Potter is shown the ways of the West. Scratchy stands with his revolver pointed right at Potters chest. This event is filled with a lot of suspense wondering anxiously. Scratchy is telling Jack its time to finish there dilemma. You know I fight when it comes to fighting, Scratchy Wilson; but I aint got a gun on me. Youll have to do all the shootin yourself.(305) Scratchys face went livid. He cannot believe that his enemy does not have a gun on him. The way of the West, the town Marshal, and a man that is known as a dangerous man does not have a gun on him. I aint got a gun because Ive come from San Anton with my wife. Im married. said Potter. And if Id thought there was going to be any galoots like you prowling around when I brought my wife home, Id had a gun, and dont you forget it.(305) Scratchy called off the whole fight because of Potter having a wife.

The theme of this story was marriage in an old West town can change everything. This was the main idea of the story. The West was known as a rank and wild place. Marriage was not as common because of whore houses and the fact that who knew from day to day if they was going to be alive or not.