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Chapter 79
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lonesome Dove, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
American Mythology
Family
Luck, Fate, and Chance
The Good Life
The Meaning of Masculinity
Feminine Strength
Summary
Analysis
The doctor in Ogallala tends Elmira for a month before she regains enough strength to get out of bed. She does this despite herself; a week after her hemorrhage, she’s recovered enough to ask about Dee, and the doctor tells her that he was hanged right on schedule. Elmira wishes she could just die. But she doesn’t. She thinks about asking Big Zwey—who sits outside the window, all day every day, guarding her—to shoot her. But she can’t quite get up the nerve to do it. And then, July Johnson walks in the door.
Elmira’s body recovers, but her mind and heart don’t. Her obsession with Dee became so overpowering that she doesn’t know what to do with herself in the wake of his death. Her life loses all meaning, at least until July shows up and she regains a purpose, albeit an unfortunately weak one: getting away from him as soon as possible.
Themes
July tells Elmira about Joe’s death and about how healthy their baby, Martin, is in Clara’s care. Slowly, he realizes that she doesn’t care and that she is disappointed rather than relieved that he followed and found her. She says nothing, in fact, the whole time he’s there. Confused and hurt, he leaves, promising to come back in a few days.
Neither readers nor July should be surprised by Elmira’s reaction, which is totally in character with all her previous decisions and actions—as well as what July learned about her from Jennie. Yet, it seems like July still hoped for a different outcome, suggesting that he’s still not yet able to face life on his own.
Themes
As soon as July has left, Elmira calls Big Zwey and tells him to get the wagon ready. She wants to go to St. Louis. Big Zwey complies happily, taking her choice of him as proof that they are in fact married. The warnings he receives at the livery stable, about how “stirred up” the Ogallala Sioux Nation is by the actions of the encroaching United States Army, temper his enthusiasm somewhat. But Ellie isn’t deterred—she’s lost her fear of death completely. Still, despite his worry, he does as she says and they ride east just before sunset that same day.
The book very clearly implies that Elmira is leading herself and Big Zwey to their deaths. This is another example of a woman using her power to control a man. Yet, the warnings and Big Zwey’s discomfort suggest that he still has a choice, even if he elects not to exercise it, making him ultimately responsible for his own fate, too.
Themes
