The VirginianThe cowboy hero, The Virginian, as described in Owen Wister's novel, was the first of his kind and is known today as the stereotypical mythical figure of cowboy who represents our vision of the western frontier. are based on. The Virginian was the first full-length Western novel, except for the short dime novels that marked the final step in the cowboy hero's evolution into national icon. The Virginian was published in 1902 and was very popular at that time due to the settlement of the West. The story of the cowboy who had the skill and courage to take control of the wild frontier captivated people. The cowboy hero had some remarkable qualities, he was a self-proclaimed vigilante, he had a very strict moral code, he had exceptional perceptual skills and he was adaptable. Owen Wister's The Virginian was the first to portray these qualities and truly created a deeper cowboy character. While the Western frontier was still new and untamed, the Western hero often took on the role of a vigilante. The role of the vigilante on the border was that of extralegal verve used to quell criminal threats to the civil peace and opulence of a local community. Vigilantism was typical of the settler state societies of the western frontier, where the structures and powers of government were initially very weak and weak. The typical cowboy hero was willing to use this extra-legal verve. The Virginian demonstrated this throughout his interactions with Trampas, including in the interactions leading up to the shooting and during the shooting itself. "Others struggled with Trampas, and his bullet shattered the ceiling before they could wrest the pistol from him... Yet the Virginian stood still in the middle of a paper... and he was a man of reserve against violence. . Also as a man who will defend the good of the community, protecting those in need of protection as a vigilante of the western frontier. The Virginian was a true cowboy hero because he was a vigilante who followed his own moral code. The cowboy's moral code was not dictated by the laws of society because he was an independent who worked to escape civilization. The Virginian was the first of the Western heroes to give the world someone to serve as an example. He demonstrated a very strong moral code that had a special responsibility in protecting and respecting women like Molly. He also possessed many skills that gave him the realistic look that made Western heroes so popular in the early 1900s as the Western frontier was coming to an end. Works Cited Wister, Owen. The Virginian. Penguin Books. 1902. Print.