ABSTRACT:Owen Wister is a well-known American writer .The Virginian, which is regarded as Wister’s master work, became the landmark of the Cowboy Novels of American West after its publication in 1902. The novel The Virginian mainly tells a story of the Virginian and his cowboy friends who came to Wyoming to establish their new lives. This thesis will focus on the independent spirit reflected by the novel itself. In The Virginian, Owen Wister vividly depicted an image of the pioneers who established their new lives and business by themselves, and solved problems by themselves during the American Westward expansion. A research on the independent spirit of the American pioneers reflected in the novel can further people’s understanding not only on the American national spirit that developed during the Westward expansion, but also on the novel The Virginian and its author.

Keywords: cowboy novel; pioneers; independent spirit 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

摘要

ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION.1

1.1 A Brief Introduction to Owen Wister, Writer of the Novel The Virginian.1

1.2 A Brief Introduction to the Novel The Virginian2

2. LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Researches on The Virginian Abroad.4

2.2 Researches on The Virginian within China5

3. THE AMERICAN PIONEERS’ INDEPENDENT SPIRIT IN THE NOVEL THE VIRGINIAN.7

3.1 The Pioneers’ Independence to Make a Living in the West.7

3.1.1 Starting cattle business..8

3.1.2 Serving as cowboys.8

3.1.3 Acting as school teachers9

3.2 The Pioneers’ Independence to Solve Problems in the West.11

3.2.1 Deciding religion beliefs.11

3.2.2 Devising the education12

3.2.3 Dealing with rustling.13

4. CONCLUSION15

REFERENCES16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17