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| This a picture from the TV show, but it's pretty much how I pictured theVirginian. |
The Virginian by Owen Wister is known as the first great Western novel. It is narrated by an unnamed Easterner who tells the story of a cowboy known as the Virginian. The Virginian works as a foreman on a ranch in Wyoming. He wins bets, plays tricks, fights both physically and verbally, hangs cattle thieves, reads great literature and falls in love.
Early in the story we read a letter from a young lady (Molly Weeks) from Vermont who is contemplating a job offer as a schoolmarm in Wyoming. This letter is when the seed of love is planted in the Virginian’s heart. It brings about a change in the Virginian. He stands up for her honor even though he hasn’t been formally introduced to her. He saves her handkerchief after rescuing her. He visits her whenever he has the opportunity. Throughout the novel we see several more instances where the Virginian does something to show his love for Miss Molly. We also see that Miss Molly is afraid to return his love. This makes me wonder if my view of love is skewed. How can someone continue to love another person without any love in return?
I am reminded of another case of love unreturned. Gilbert Blythe loves Anne Shirley in the Anne of Green Gables series, but she doesn’t realize that she loves him and therefore treats him as just a friend. He proposes and she says no. He continues to love her and eventually tries again. I couldn’t understand why Gilbert kept Anne in his heart.
I look at my own relationship with my husband. I love him for so many reasons, but one of those is his love for me. If he stopped loving me what would happen? Would I be like the Virginian and Gilbert or is my love purely conditional?
In my recent re-reading of The Divine Center by Stephen Covey I learned that unconditional love is necessary to a relationship. Stephen Covey says that in order to show love unconditionally one must have a “love supply source”. He says Christ is our source. Our relationship with our Savior is what helps us love unconditionally. Though neither the Virginian nor Gilbert Blythe professed to be Christian, they must have had a hidden understanding of Christ’s love. As Stephen Covey says “when we love Christ first, we will love [others] more.”
The Virginian’s actions toward Miss Molly helped me look at how I love others. It made me think about my relationship with my husband. Do I love him unconditionally?
