Theme Analysis

Throughout The Last Picture Show, an overwhelming sense of loneliness and decay can be detected. Thalia seems to be dying; the buildings and houses are falling apart and the inhabitants are either physically or emotionally stuck in the small town. The people who are able to leave the small town do, and whose who can not leave wish that they were able to. When Duane left for the Korean War at the end of the novel, he had a cheerful disposition about him, because he was about to go somewhere other than Thalia and the surrounding cities. Sonny sadly tells Duane that he wishes he was able to join the army and go overseas. This eagerness to leave small towns was customary during the time period of the novel. McMurtry was trying to show that small town life was quickly diminishing as people longed for more meaning in their lives. Small town life, however picturesque it may sound, is quickly fading into the background of the American culture.

The loneliness comes into play when analyzing the different relationships that took place in the novel. It is easy to see by the brief encounters that sex means almost nothing to the people of this town; they are willing to do anything that would make themselves feel something. In a way, the people are hoping that having sex will fill the hole that the town has created. McMurtry is showing his distaste for the way relationships are conducted in today’s society. What once used to be considered intimate is now commonplace. Marriage is no longer a sacred union, but something to do when you are bored. Relationships have become meaningless encounters, and people only care about immediate gratification, not the connection that a relationship can bring.

“‘She was done married,’ Sam said gravely. ‘Her and her husband was young and miserable with one another like so many young married folks are. I thought they'd get comfortable when they got older, but it didn't turn out that way.’

‘Bein' married always so miserable?’ Sonny said ‘Nobody seems to like it much.’

‘No, not really. About eighty percent of the time, I guess. We oughta go to a real fishin' tank next year. Aw, too late to think about things like that too much. If she was here, I'd probably be just as crazy now as I was then in about five minutes. Ain't that ridiculous? Naw, it ain't really. 'Cause bein' crazy 'bout a woman like her's always the right thing to do. Bein' a decrepit old bag of bones - that's what's ridiculous - gettin' old (McMurtry 154).’”

Personal Response

     After reading the summary on the back of the novel The Last Picture Show, I had no idea what to expect. It just seemed like nothing was really going to happen throughout the book. The novel definietely started out slow, but then the plot finally started to appear. There are also a lot of characters in this novel and they are very unique in their own ways. They are unlike any other characters in any other book I have read.

     I read this book in about three days. It was so easy to read and I did not want to put it down. It always had me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next. The author of this novel did a great job leaving the reader always wondering what was going to happen next. I never wanted to put the book down because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. 

     I never would have expected some of the events that happened in this novel. The author seemed to always know when to put these unexpected events in because the reader would never guess that that one thing was actually going to happen.  The setting, the plot, and the characters were different than any other book I have ever read before. I would definietely recommend this book to anyone who likes reading different pieces of work. I have to warn people who are considering reading this book, it is not what you will expect. It is definietely well worth your time though. I would read the book before watching the movie. If I were you, I would not watch the movie at all...
 

Rhetorical Study

Jacy was at a loss for an answer. For days she could not get the evening off her mind. It seemed to her she had come off very badly with Bobby. He didn’t call her for any dates afterward, and every other boy who had ever been near her had promptly called her for dates. The only conclusion possible was that Bobby found her backward and country, and if there was anything she hated and loathed it was to be thought backward and country. It was clear that she was going to have to get rid of her virginity. She gave the matter much thought and came up with a plan that seemed to have multiple advantages. The week after graduation the senior class was going on what was called a senior trip. For four years the class had saved up money for it, and had given bake sales, conducted scrap iron drives, and done all sorts of other chores to make the money. They were going all the way to San Francisco and back on the bus and it would take every bit of the money they had made. She and Duane would thus be together practically all the time for a whole week, and it occurred to her that if she let Duane sleep with her sometime during the trip it would solve all kinds of problems. For one thing it would make the senior trip. She and Duane would be regarded as extraordinarily daring, and all the kids would talk about them all the way home. Also, if she slept with Duane a time or two it would make it that much easier for her to break up with him after the senior trip was over. Duane would have something beautiful to remember, and he wouldn’t be able to say she had promised him anything she hadn’t delivered.

Then when she got back from the trip she would no longer be a virgin and could set about taking Bobby Sheen away from Annie-Annie. If she could get him in love with her before the summer was over she might forget about the girls’ school and go to S.M.U., where Bobby was going. They might even pledge related fraternities.

            The only flaw in the whole plan was Duane. It occurred to her that he might not want to breakup with her even if she let him sleep with her before breaking the news. He was dead set on their getting married in the summer, and he was a very stubborn boy. She decided that the best thing to do would be to make an ally of Sonny—she knew Sonny would do anything she wanted him to if she played up to him the least bit. If Duane got ugly and wouldn’t quit trying to go with her she could then date Sonny a few times.

             

(McMurtry 138-139)

This passage has a strong impact on the reader and his opinion of Jacy. The passage portrays Jacy’s careless and selfish attitude as well as her complete disregard for others’ feelings. McMurtry perfectly portrays this through his careful use of language in this passage. The omniscient voice provides insight, especially connected with stream of consciousness and simple language. Also, he carefully distinguishes between perception and reality regarding Jacy’s planning.

McMurtry uses an omniscient voice to be able to look deeply into all of the characters’ innermost thoughts, and often ulterior motives, as seen in this passage. Due to this voice, the reader is shown Jacy’s plans to win Bobby Sheen over by using Duane to gain experience. Otherwise, the reader might have thought that Jacy actually loved Duane as much as he loved her. Instead, the reader is shown that she only wants to be with Duane to “make the senior trip” and to be seen as “extraordinarily daring” (McMurtry 139). The reader is shown Jacy’s flawed thought processes as well. For example, she decides that “the only conclusion possible was that Bobby found her backward and country, and if there was anything she hated and loathed it was to be thought backward and country” (McMurtry 138). This shows that Jacy is hidebound, and is only able to view things the way she wants.

These “backward and country” thoughts are also examples of stream of consciousness, which McMurtry uses to emphasize the omniscient voice and to make the reader feel as though he is actually reading the characters’ minds. In this passage, Jacy somehow connects Bobby to fundraising to college to Sonny in just a few paragraphs. This stream of consciousness shows, again, how Jacy only sees people as pawns in her plan; their feelings are completely unimportant to her.

Also seen in this passage, as well as in the rest of the book, are very plain language and simple words and sentence structure. This creates authenticity because all the characters in the book are plain, country people without higher education. The town is actually “backward and country,” as Jacy fears, so the language backs up this point. Overall, the rhetorical devices used all add to the characterization of Jacy as a manipulative, reckless, and very self-centered girl. 

The Movie vs. The Book

            The Last Picture Show, the movie, was released in black and white in 1971, and it was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Timothy Bottoms played Duane Jackson, Cybill Shepherd played Jacy Farrow, and Ben Johnson played Sam the Lion. It was nominated for ten Academy Award, including Best Picture, Best Director, and four acting nominations.

            Larry McMurtry, the author of the book, wrote the screenplay, so the movie does keep many things the same. In the movie, the town’s weather and small-town, deserted feel is the same as in the book. The plot-line is also the same, but the movie does skip over several important or monumental scenes, such as Duane and Sonny’s trip to Mexico, basketball games, the bus rides and the subsequent interactions between Jacy and Duane, Mrs. Farrow and Sonny’s one-night stand, and the town’s rampaging bestiality.

            The movie was two hours long, and it was hard to follow without prior knowledge of the book. What made the book so great was the omniscient voice and the ability of the reader to understand the characters’ deepest thoughts. Without this, the movie was lacking, and it failed to capture the viewer’s attention. Without hearing the characters’ thoughts, it was hard to understand them or attach oneself to them. This made their actions seem meaningless and shallow, or even random and unconnected at times.

            The movie focused on the theme that life lacks meaning or purpose. The desolate setting was dramatized as a backdrop to the insignificant lives within the town. At the end of the two hours, just like at the end of the book, the mood was very sad and empty.

            Our personal opinion of the movie was that it was much worse than the book. We all loved the book so much, but we struggled to stay awake though the movie.

Like Author Like Sonny?

The story of Sonny, Duane, and Jacy is one filled with raw teenage emotion and gritty dialogue. For the entirety of the book, the reader is inexplicably drawn into their lives, as though by a magnet. When reading, one cannot help but wonder at how it all seems so real. It’s coarse and harsh and unforgiving—but that’s how life is supposed to be. While most books skim over life’s cruel realties, The Last Picture Show does not. And it’s because of Larry McMurtry’s genuine and relatable writing style that we are able to dive in so deep.

McMurtry was born in Wichita Falls, Texas in the middle of the Great Depression. His descriptions of his home and the cattle ranch he grew up on may seem familiar to the reader, probably because the fictional town of Thalia was based heavily upon McMurtry’s hometown of Archer City. When the reader makes such a deep connection with the desolation that Sonny feels at the beginning and end of the book, it’s not just because McMurtry is such a talented writer. It’s because everything he’s describing—every emotion and feeling and thought—is absolutely real, and based on McMurtry’s childhood.

McMurtry was much like Duane in high school: the popular star athlete. But he was also very intelligent, and had an early appreciation for reading and writing. In such a small city (and especially at that point in history), people were bound to disapprove of McMurtry’s talent and zest for writing. He was encouraged to work on his father’s ranch until his mid-twenties, causing him to see the disagreeable side of small town life. He was always looking for something more, mimicking Sonny’s wishes to get out of the Thalia and make something of himself.

McMurtry continued to write after college, and opened several successful bookstores. He then became an English professor at Rice University, and shortly thereafter published his first novel. The Last Picture Show was published in 1966, establishing McMurtry as a serious writer. He continued to write for over three decades, even adapting the screenplays for Brokeback Mountain and his own Terms of Endearment. Though most of his work was focused on the Old West, McMurtry has enriched the lives of people everywhere with his focus on human behavior.

Images

1.       Blue Quilt:

The blue quilt was used a lot throughout the novel by Ruth Popper and Sonny. They definitely always had fun on this quilt. When they were on this quilt, they felt like nothing could get in the way.   It is significant because it was somewhere that they could go, feel comfortable, and connect with one another.

2.       Mexico:

Sonny and Duane took a quick trip to Mexico during the novel. They wanted to get out of Thalia, which rarely people from there did. They wanted to experience new things, but they ended up doing similar things they would have done in Thalia.  They had very little money, but wanted to go anyway and see how everything would turn out. It is significant because this showed the sense of adventure that the boys had. All of a sudden, they decided to hop into Sonny’s pickup truck and drive to Mexico and stay for a few days and drive back to Thalia.  They had no reason at all. They just wanted to do it because they could. They wanted to try and get away from some people and events that were going on in Thalia. This also shows how much a small town can affect people in positive and negative ways.

3.       Pickup Truck:

Sonny’s pickup truck is very significant throughout the story. Sonny drives this pickup truck to all of his adventures.  He also has adventures in it. The pickup truck was the location of the start of his relationship with Charlene which resulted in a lot more relationships after Charlene.  He also had to unequally share the truck with Duane. Duane used the truck a lot with Jacy and Sonny was never pleased about it because it was his truck and he had a thing for Jacy.

4.       Eye Patch:

Another significant image in the story is an eye patch. Sonny used an eye patch at the end of the story because his eye gets badly injured during a fight with Duane and there is a possibility that he could lose his vision in his eye. He ends up being in the hospital for a while and the doctors made him wear an eye patch on his eye. Sonny went back to the pool house and took the eye patch off for a minute and then he heard a commotion outside. Billy was lying dead in the street with two eye patches over his eyes.  This was significant because Sonny was supposed to watch over Billy and instead he unfortunately kills himself by walking in the middle of the street with two patches over his eyes and gets hit by a truck.

5.       Cow:

The Cow is significant in a very weird way. The boys in this novel including Sonny and Duane were always up for trouble and adventures. They thought it would be funny to play around with some cows in a not so nice and flattering way.  This event seemed to start the “sex” trend in the book.

Thalia, Texas

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words “small town?”
To some, the image of white picket fences surrounding large yards come into mind. To others, maybe the idea of a friendly place where everyone knows each other. It seems that most, if not all, first thoughts of a small town are that of a happy and quaint place to live. To the residents of Thalia, Texas, however, their “small town” is a completely different story.

This classic 1950‘s town is often described as an old, dusty piece of land located in the middle of the Texas Plains. The barren landscape located around the town seems to constrict the it, making Thalia feel isolated from the rest of the world. The protagonist of the novel, Sonny, often describes how lonely the town looks and feels. To him, just like most of the other characters in the novel, Thalia seems to be lacking something, but no one can seem to pinpoint what exactly the town is missing.

“Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town. It was a bad feeling, and it usually came on him in the mornings early, when the streets were completely empty, the way they were one Saturday morning in late November. The night before Sonny had played his his last game of football for Thalia High School, but it wasn't that that made him feel so strange and alone. It was just the look of the town” (McMurtry 1).

Only in the early morning hours does Sonny see the true colors of the town: it is a dull, lifeless place with little to do. The main sources of entertainment for everyone are the picture show, the cafe and the pool house; even those places are described as old and dusty. Over all the town can not sustain it’s residents, who long for adventures and are forced to find then elsewhere.

As the novel progresses, it is easier to see the decay of a once happy town. The people are becoming more unhappy and the land itself gets drier and drier. Then by the end of the novel Thalia is dying. The central man in the town, Sam the Lion, is dead taking with him the little happiness that was left. Soon after, the picture show announces that it is closing. This marks the end of the “small town era” of the story. The land, people and country are changing, and it is difficult for Thalia to keep up with the new age that is coming along. By the end of the book, the outlook for Thalia is bleak and unpromising. The small, dusty town in the middle of Texas has seen it’s last happy days.

The Odd Couple

By today's standards, a relationship between a high school senior and a middle-aged housewife would be considered inappropriate and vulgar. For example, the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal rocked the media world for months after the story broke. However, the relationship between Sonny and Mrs. Popper (who is coincidentally the wife of Thalia’s football coach) is described without any bias or judgment. The entire town knows about it, yet nobody ever says a word to either participant. It’s as though there’s an unspoken rule about love and sex—that discussions about the two things should stay private, no matter what.

They first began their affair after Sonny drove her to the doctor a few towns over, and continued it throughout his senior year. At first, the reader is given the impression that Sonny only goes to Mrs. Popper for sex. But as their relationship evolves, it’s clear that there is actually some sort of emotional attachment between the two. For example, Sonny occasionally goes to her house just to watch TV or hold hands, rather than engaging in their usual activity.

            Though Sonny becomes fond of Ruth, his feelings are completely overshadowed by hers for him. To be fair, Ruth has never had a proper relationship with anyone, so what she feels with Sonny seems more real to her than her own marriage. Despite this, Ruth feels no guilt about engaging in this illicit activity while tethered to Coach Popper.

            The most important aspect of their affair is the effect it has on Ruth, physically and emotionally. Before they got together, Ruth was pale, lifeless, and lonely. But after Sonny comes into the picture, she becomes fresher and livelier, almost echoing his youthfulness. The effect Sonny has on her is made abundantly clear when the reader sees Ruth at her lowest point—after Sonny has “left.” She loses all her sparkle and enthusiasm for life almost immediately after she realizes he isn’t coming back.

            This relationship plays a central role in “The Last Picture Show,” mainly as a contrast to other connections in the town. While it may seem odd to the reader, it’s interpreted as a fact of life, a sharp contrast to what the relationship would seem today.

The Evolution of Relationships in Thalia

Sonny and Charlene:

Sonny and Charlene dated for a year. In the beginning of the novel, the two are still in a relationship, but Sonny soon breaks up with Charlene on their anniversary. Neither of them actually like the other. Sonny is in love with Jacy at the time, and Charlene is in love with Duane. Charlene and Sonny simply use each other to battle their loneliness and get some sexual satisfaction, although they never actually have sex. The just settle for the best option available.

 “Charlene kissed convulsively, as if she had just swallowed a golf ball and was trying to force it back up. Of course, Sonny had considered breaking up with Charlene, but there weren’t many girls in the town and the only unattached girl who was any prettier than Charlene was an unusually prudish sophomore” (McMurtry 12-13)

Sonny and Ruth:

Sonny and Ruth Popper were first forced together when Ruth’s husband and Sonny’s football coach, Coach Popper, asked Sonny to drive Ruth to a doctor’s appointment. At her house afterwards, they shared a brief moment, but nothing really happened until the countywide Christmas dance, when they kissed. Then, Sonny took Ruth to the hospital again, and this time they had sex afterwards. Then, it became a regular affair that the whole town was aware of. Ruth finally realized who she was through Sonny, and they grew very close. It lasted until Sonny left Ruth for Jacy. This completely tore Ruth apart, leaving both of them terribly lonesome. In the end of the novel, Sonny goes to Ruth’s house, and she takes him back.

“In the weeks after Ruth’s breakthrough the two of them became very close and comfortable. Once Sonny quit worrying about her response or lack of response, he found her much more pleasant to be with, and there were even afternoons when he visited her, not to make love but just to talk, hold hands, or watch television” (McMurtry 130).

“Why am I always apologizing to you, you little…little bastard. For three months I’ve been apologizing to you, without you even being there to hear me. I haven’t done anything wrong, why can’t I quit apologizing. You’re the one who ought to be sorry. I wouldn’t be in my bathrobe now if it hadn’t been for you—I’d have had my clothes on hours ago. You’re the one that made me quit caring whether I got dressed or not” (McMurtry 278).

Sonny and Jacy:

Sonny had liked Jacy and fantasized about her from the very start of the novel, but Jacy had always been busy with other men. She dated Duane, Sonny’s best friend, for a while, and then, she spent a night with Bobby Sheen. Next, she was with Lester for most of the summer, just using him for his group of friends and their parties. At the end of her relationship with Lester, Jacy had sex with Abilene in the pool hall. After all of this, Jacy decides to go for Duane, simply because she is bored and wants to mess up Ruth and Sonny’s relationship. Then, Jacy and Sonny date, and they run away and get married. Jacy simply wanted to marry Sonny for the controversy and excitement. Her parents catch them and had it annulled that very night, just as Jacy had planned.

“It did end her boredom, though. She decided then and there that she would stop that romance and stop it good. She would go with Sonny for the rest of the summer, and he would never give Mrs. Popper another thought. He was reasonably good looking, like her mother said, and going with him wouldn’t be too unpleasant. It would make August pass a lot quicker” (McMurtry 224).

Sonny and Lois:

On Sonny and Jacy’s wedding night, Lois and Gene, Jacy’s parents, come to break it up. Gene drives Jacy home, and Lois drives Sonny home. On the ride home, they stop in a hotel and have sex. The event is very random, and there had never been any particular feelings between the two before. Lois had been in love with Sam the Lion during her marriage with Gene and she had also frequently had sex with Abilene. She used Sonny to help fill the void that was left in Lois after Sam the Lion died because she had loved Sam deeply. It is just a one-night affair, and nothing happens between them again.

“’Your mother and I sat next to one another in the fist grade,’ she said, ‘We graduated together. I sure didn’t expect to sleep with her son. That’s small town life for you.’ She grinned and stroked his chest again as he buttoned his shirt.

‘What will we be?” he asked, when she stopped at the poolhall to let him out.

‘Very good friends for a long time,’ Lois said, ‘Even I couldn’t get away with taking on my daughter’s ex-husband on a regular basis’” (McMurtry 255).

Character Analysis

 

Sonny Crawford- A senior at Thalia High School, Sonny is the protagonist of the novel. He lives in a boarding house with his best friend Duane, as his mother is dead and his father can’t support him. Although Sonny seems to be a typical small town kid, he has a greater conscience and more developed code of ethics than his friends. Sonny is somewhat weak-minded, though throughout the novel we see him become gradually more self-assured.

“It was almost the first time in Sonny’s life that he had not been willing to go on and do whatever the crowd was doing,” (McMurtry 106).

Duane Moore- The star athlete at the high school, Duane is Sonny’s best friend. He often serves as a foil for Sonny because of his irascible demeanor. Duane is often unpredictable, and can quickly change from feelings of extreme anger to those of tremendous depression. He is dating Jacy Farrow, who consumes his life with her constant demands. Duane does not like change and has far less ambition than does Sonny.

“She’s my girl and I don’t care if we did break up. I’m gonna get her back, I’m tellin’ you right now. She’s gonna marry me one of these days, when I get a little more money,” (McMurtry 234).

Sam the Lion- As the owner of Thalia’s only café, movie theater, and pool hall, Sam is one of the most well known men in town. He is characterized as being dependable and trustworthy, as Sonny and Duane often confide in him throughout the novel. Little about his background is known, although it is revealed that he was in love with Jacy Farrow’s mother back when they were teenagers.

“Sam the Lion was the man who took care of things, particularly of boys, and Sonny did not like to think that he might die,” (McMurtry 4).

Jacy Farrow- Jacy is the prettiest, richest and most popular girl in Thalia—and she knows it. She is very self-absorbed and sees herself as destined for greatness. Although she dates Duane throughout much of the novel, Jacy often strays from him when she feels like she can gain something from another boy. Jacy is often the main source of conflict between Duane and Sonny

“ It took a rich, fast crowd to go swimming naked, and Jacy always prided herself on belonging to the fastest crowd there was, moral or immoral. Indeed, for a rich, pretty girl like herself the most immoral thing imaginable would be to belong to a slow crowd,” (McMurtry 83).

Ruth Popper- The football coach’s wife, Ruth is originally characterized as being timid and shy. However, she connects with Sonny on a very intimate level midway through the novel. Their affair changes Ruth dramatically; she becomes livelier and seems younger and fresher. Through bouts of self-doubt, Ruth gradually asserts herself as a significant figure in Sonny’s life. 

“Ruth seemed to grow fresher, more self-possessed, and more lovely, though it was only at odd, oblique moments, lying beside her or coming into her room, that he noticed that she was lovely. Instead of drooping about the house as she had once done she acquired grace and animation and moved about as active and lithe as a girl,” (McMurtry 140-141).