Searching for a Feminist Western:The Searchers, The Hired Hand, andThe Missing

The Western film genre as a whole has traditionally focused on the circumstances and actions directly related almost exclusively to White male protagonists. As a result, in this genre, women's actions are largely ignored by men and their voices are silenced or seemingly are without consequence. Drawing examples from two Alternative Westerns—The Hired Hand 1971 and The Missing 2003—and the classic Western, The Searchers 1956, to support my argument, I suggest here that for a Western to be considered feminist the plot must constitute a subversion of and a challenge to a mainstream text; the actions of a female protagonist must drive the plot rather than simply provide a reason for actions of the male character or characters; the dialogue of one or more female protagonists must challenge and subvert masculine discourse, as well as convey agency; and meanings must be plural rather than singular.