ABSTRACT. In the following pages I discuss the appearance of the western genre as a counter-reaction to the sentimental novel of the 19th century. Then I explain why the western genre has been regarded as “a masculine construction.” I analyze the characteristics of the westerner as a warrior with examples from some of the best-known western films. I analyze the characteristic relationship of the western hero to the western landscape and I discuss the western’s relationship to women.

Keywords: Western hero; masculinity in Westerns; warrior code; landscape of restraint; language of men; American frontier; John Wayne