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The Importance of Being Molly

© Erica Davis

In his second novel, Leaving Cheyenne, Larry McMurtry creates an unconventional love triangle that spans over 40 years of the three main characters lives. Although McMurtry gives us no clear hero or single main character, by way of the story we are able to see the significance given to the female love interest, Molly Taylor. Her influence, directly and indirectly, is so overpowering in the lives of Johnny, Gid, and their children that there are few actions in the book not affected by her. McMurtry’s portrayal of Molly is often sympathetic but confused, which is fairly usual for women characters in westerns. What is different about Molly though are her choices. Her actions throughout the book are completely unconventional for a female lead in a western and McMurtry’s experimentation with her character shapes the relationships she is involved in, the kind of person she is viewed as and most importantly her effect on those around her. Although Leaving Cheyenne is about the relationship between these three people, it is clear that the driving force behind the novel is the character of Molly Taylor because her very presence permeates every chapter of the book. In the end however, her love not only creates every problem in the novel, it destroys the lives of the very people she is trying so hard to be with.

Molly just wants to be loved, completely and wholly for who she is. Growing up in an abusive household never afforded her the kind of love and attention she needed and this effects her as she gets old enough to start dating and marrying. We know that she loves Gid but she will not marry him because she always feels that he is preoccupied with other things like his father, his land and his obligations. “Molly loves Gid for more than forty years, but she can never persuade him to give of himself completely” (Peavy p.171-188). Unfortunately by turning down Gid’s proposals and marrying Eddie instead she makes the situation worse. We understand shortly afterwards that she doesn’t consider her marriage to be any more of a commitment than when she was dating. She still carries on her relationships with Gid and Johnny without guilt over the fact that she has a husband. Gid continues to see Molly but their relationship is forever changed. He becomes more distant and pulls away from her more and more emotionally so that she never attains the kind of bond she wanted with him. His guilt is not brought on by his love for his wife, Mabel, because he

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