Lonesome Dove

The introduction of July Johnson expands on the theme of Friendship and Loyalty and gives the story a new thread. July is a quiet, unassuming man who suddenly found himself in a position of authority when Jake shot his brother-in-law. There are no signs that July is suited to, or adept at, his job, but it is a small town where he rarely has to do more than wrangle rowdy men when they are drunk. His marriage is the source of his greatest struggles.

July’s character arc is the most tragic in the novel besides the characters who don’t survive. His sister-in-law berates him into doing a job he may not be capable of completing. When he goes home, his wife treats him and her son scornfully and badgers him into leaving, all while nitpicking at him for his table manners and the bout of jaundice, which was beyond his control.

It is obvious that something is wrong with Elmira. She does not have typical emotional reactions, and her actions demonstrate a lack of empathy. She is fixated on her past with Dee Boot, although it does not appear that there was anything special about their relationship.

July allows Elmira to make him leave, but he also demonstrates courage in his willingness to pursue Jake, who has an (undeserved) reputation as a dangerous man. As the sheriff, July knows how to approach his duty. As a husband, by contrast, he is at a loss. He leaves home in the hope that his actions will impress Elmira. July will prove ignorant of many things. He cannot yet comprehend the brutality that exists on the plains, the evil that people are capable of, or his wife’s disdain for him. July is a stand-in for any person who is thrust into dangerous circumstances for which they are unprepared. He has not seen enough of life to understand the menace of the situation he is entering. More than any other character, he exemplifies the novel’s theme of Honor, Principles, Duty, and Purpose, yet his commitment to his family and to justice brings him only sorrow and suffering.