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Chapter 8
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
When Wilbarger rides up to the house, Augustus is sitting on the porch, waiting until enough time has passed that he can safely assume Jake Spoon is done sporting with Lorena and will be interested in a game of cards. Wilbarger’s arrival surprises Augustus; a startled pig trotting between the legs of his horse surprises Wilbarger. Call steps onto the porch as Augustus is introducing himself and sizing up Wilbarger, who explains his situation and says he wants to buy 40 horses to replace the ones he lost. Call replies that he can have his pick of 100 horses at sunup the next day, or of three this afternoon. The news frustrates and confuses Wilbarger, but after a swig of Augustus’s whiskey, he agrees to wait. He also asks Call and McCrae to round up any of his horses—marked with an “HIC” brand—they find.
Although it’s already clear that Gus has feelings for Lorena, unlike Dish, the older man respects her both as a working woman (he doesn’t interfere with other paying clients) and as a person—who he assumes will fall in love, at least for a bit, with the dashing Jake. It’s further evidence of his laid-back approach to life that he not only accepts but encourages other men to find pleasure where they can, including with Lorena. Gus has other sources of pleasure, like sharpening his wits in conversation with Wilbarger. At first, Wilbarger is focused on his mission, but soon Gus has convinced him to slow down and enjoy a bit of whiskey, too.
Themes
Wilbarger and Chick ride off, leaving Augustus to inquire about Call’s plans for the evening. Usually when they raid south of the border, they go for cows. The few horses they occasionally snag are an afterthought. But, as Call now explains, if they’re going to drive a herd north to Montana, they’ll need a remuda. He plans to raid Pedro Flores’s ranch. It's a risky plan, as Augustus points out. But he’s interested in it, if only because Flores is as old rival. He heads into town to collect Jake.
The plan to go north continues to solidify in Call’s mind and this moment provides insight into why: he is drawn to challenges, and challenges have become rare in this relatively stable part of the world. Gus might be more content to sit on the porch and enjoy a sunset, but he, too, clearly longs for an opportunity to test his mettle once more.
Themes
When Newt learns that he gets to go on the raid, he’s too worried about Dish—who is vomiting profusely into the creek—to be excited. Dish has stopped vomiting by the time Call arrives on the scene, but he’s barely able to stagger to his feet. He got drunk enough to forget his feelings for Lorena and his jealousy of Jake, but not enough to lose his fear of the Captain’s anger. He has nothing to say for himself when Call smells the whiskey on his breath. Fortunately for him, though, Call sees Jake and Augustus sniggering and concludes that they tricked Dish into getting drunk. If Dish can get on a horse in time for the raid, he’ll overlook it.
At this moment, before the drive starts, both Dish and Newt are very immature and young (even if Dish is already an experienced cowhand). Gus and Call thus offer them models of mature masculinity they can choose to emulate, avoid, or combine to shape their own lives. Gus is more forgiving of Dish’s drunken binge because he knows what it means to be in love with someone unattainable. Call shows no weakness for women and in fact seems to fear their potential power over him.
Themes
Meanwhile, Bolivar begins beating on the dinner bell with his crowbar. The noise hurts Dish’s head and annoys Jake, who draws his gun and shoots it in Bolivar’s direction. Call says nothing because he saw that Jake aimed wide enough to ensure he wouldn’t hit the cook. But Augustus points out that this is kind of trigger-happy act that got him in trouble in Arkansas.
Call focuses on the situation tactically, while Gus remains sensitive to the implications of people’s actions. And Jake’s wild shot reminds readers that volatility is an important flaw in his character. In contrast to Call’s (and even Gus’s) measured approach to life, Jake lives at the mercy of luck.
Themes
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After supper, Call goes to the corral to begin the lengthy process of saddling the Hell Bitch. After he gets her tied to the post, he stops to hand Newt a freshly cleaned and oiled pistol, remarking that it’s “better to have it and not need it” than otherwise. Newt has experience with guns—Augustus taught him to shoot when he was a boy—but it’s different being in possession of his own weapon. Solemnly, he puts on the gun belt and holsters the pistol. Then he lassoes his favorite horse on his first try, as if having a gun makes him more proficient at everything. Noticing, Deets jokes that he’ll be the boss soon. Nothing so ambitious has ever occurred to Newt, but if it happens, he says, he’ll give Deets a raise.
Call’s calm, methodical nature continues to show itself in his preparation for the raid. Notably, when he gives Newt the gun, readers learn that the boy can shoot but that Gus—not Call—taught him. Questions about why Call holds himself so aloof from Newt continue to accumulate. Still, in the absence of a singular acknowledged father, Newt has benefitted from the communal care of the Hat Creek men, who make sure that he has the skills he needs to survive in his world.
Themes
