Nov 21 2008
Boxing in Louis L’amour Novels
Boxing is one of the many recurring themes in Louis L’amour novels. During his own life L’amour fought many boxing matches and this is certainly a topic that he knew much about.
In my own experience, having fought in the ring I can attest that the information that he presents in the stories are exact and correct. Whether the boxing is more or less anecdotal such as in Hanging Woman Creek or if it presents a pivotal moment such as in Lando, the theme is generally the same. The rough fighter that enjoys fighting for the sake of fighting finds a mentor who then begins to teach him how to find in a more precise and scientific manner.
In many ways boxing is a rite of passage for L’amour that takes his heroes from boyhood to manhood despire the fact that many are already adults when the stories begin. All heroes must undergo a transformation of some kind - physical, emotional, spiritual or otherwise. Boxing is one of a set of staple transformations that typify Lamour’s characters, and one which I personally enjoy very much.
A similar sort of transformation is very common in the action movies of today. Many martial arts movies, for example are all about the physical journey from unskilled to master - a well-known precedent of the great Bruce Lee. George Lucas used the same trope with his Jedi characters. This trait is one of the many that make Luke Skywalker such an endearing figure.
I cannot fault L’amour for using boxing in this way - in fact I commend it and appreciate it more each time I read it.
