Pioneer Women, Miss Kitty and My Mother: Historical Reflections and Connections

Description

his study aims to show the interplay between television narratives and historical
realities. Using select episodes from the TV adult western Gunsmoke, I will explore the historical
context of the Old West, patterns of migration, women pioneers in Kansas, and my family
history. I will look at the themes of gender, power and social acceptance and how they were
relatable in the 1870s Old West/Kansas and a hundred years later in Jersey City in the 1970s.
The character Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke brings memories of my mother to my mind. Miss
Kitty was portrayed as a strong female character who was maternal, loving, kind, rational,
mentally tough, fiercely protective and moral. My mother embodied all these qualities as she
had a difficult life growing up in Eastern Europe and matured quickly. At eighteen years old and
newly married, she traveled to the U.S. to work and earn enough money to bring my father to
this country. She embraced family and friends in her new country. When she and my father
owned the tavern, her customers became part of her extended family. The tavern was a men’s
bar. Men frequented the bar to get away, be alone, and have a chaser or cold beer. Some came
to hang out and watch sports on TV, others played pinochle. Women were not allowed in bars in
Jersey City. There was a law in Jersey City which prevented women from drinking in bars or
tending bar.
Old West saloons and the Gunsmoke Long Branch saloon were often male dominated
places where cowboys, gamblers, miners and locals would gather to relax, drink and socialize.
Women were not allowed unless they were working in the saloon. They may have been
employed as barmaids, entertainers or women whose work was being friendly to men and to
encourage them to drink.
 

Team

Members

Student:

Olga Barna Richmond

Supervisor:

Amy Laura Hall