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Tonto Basin (novel)
Encyclopedia
For the geographical place see Tonto Basin
Tonto Basin is a western novel written by Zane Grey
.
(1921). Grey submitted the manscript of Tonto Basin to the magazine The Country Gentleman, which published it in serialization as To the Last Man from May 28, 1921 through July 30, 1921. This was a much shorter version of the original leaving out much of the backstory and character development
. This shorter version was published as a book
by Harper Brothers in 1921.
Jean dreads the part his father, Gaston, wants him to play in the feud. He can’t get Ellen out of his mind. They meet again and his words awake in her doubt and fear that her father, Lee Jorth, is not an honorable man but in fact a horse thief and cattle rustler. As events unfold her fears are proved true. Through thick and thin Jean Isbel defends Ellen’s honor and believes the best of her.
The feud erupts into fatal gun battles, first at the Isbel ranch house, and then at the general store in the nearby town. Most of the Isbel and Jorth clans are killed, with several of their allies. The remnant of the Jorths flee with Ellen in tow to a hide-out hidden in a deep box cañon.
Jean and his allies track them and there is a deadly gun battle in the woods nearby. Ellen is forced by one of the three remaining Jorth allies to flee once again. During their flight their horse is shot out from under them. Ellen now on foot meets one of the dying Isbels and finally learns the certain truth that her father, family, and their allies were horse thieves and cattle rustlers as she feared.
When she finally makes her way back to the hide-out, she arrives just after Jean has been forced to take refuge in the loft, unknown to her. One of the two remaining rustlers attacks her with rape in mind but is interrupted by the arrival of the other rustler. Ellen discovers Jean during this interruption. When the rustler returns a few minutes later, Ellen is forced to kill him to protect herself and Jean. A minute later Jean kills the last rustler.
The story ends with Jean and Ellen declaring their love for each other.
The feud is caused by a love triangle between Gaston Isbel, Lee Jorth, and Ellen the woman both love, and the mother of Ellen Jorth. The story explores how love, betrayal, and jealousy can engender a hate which leads two men to destroy their families, without a thought to the pain and suffering of those relatives who will be left to bury the dead.
Ellen grows from a naïve girl to a woman of understanding under the severe trial of the events which overtake her. She begins to examine critically her own behavior with wisdom and insight. She grows and matures emotionally and psychologically, becoming aware that her father whom she had supported with unquestioning trust, is in fact a scoundrel, a thief, and a thoroughly dishonorable rogue. At the end she acts decisively and fatally to protect herself, her virtue, and the man she loves.
of Zane Grey. During this research he discovered that Last of the Duanes and Rangers of the Lone Star were much altered from the holograph
found "in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet in the Zane Grey, Inc. room where it had survived for eighty years.". This caused him to request that they "tell me of any other manuscripts...that had met a similar fate." The result was the discovery of the complete holographic manuscript
of the novel To the Last Man
. A comparison of the holograph with To the Last Man revealed that the holograph was much longer, and contained detail which altered the meaning of the story. The complete uncut version was published in 2004.
Tonto Basin
The Tonto Basin, also known as Pleasant Valley, covers the main drainage of Tonto Creek and its tributaries in central Arizona, at the southwest of the Mogollon Rim, the higher elevation transition zone across central and eastern Arizona....
Tonto Basin is a western novel written by Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
.
Origin
Tonto Basin is the original version of the shorter novel To The Last ManTo the Last Man (Zane Grey)
To the Last Man: A Story of the Pleasant Valley War is a western novel written by Zane Grey.-Origin:To The Last Man is a shorter version of Tonto Basin. Grey submitted the manscript of Tonto Basin to the magazine The Country Gentleman, which published it in serialization as To the Last Man from May...
(1921). Grey submitted the manscript of Tonto Basin to the magazine The Country Gentleman, which published it in serialization as To the Last Man from May 28, 1921 through July 30, 1921. This was a much shorter version of the original leaving out much of the backstory and character development
Characterisation
Characterization or characterisation is the art of creating characters for a narrative, including the process of conveying information about them. It may be employed in dramatic works of art or everyday conversation...
. This shorter version was published as a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by Harper Brothers in 1921.
Plot introduction
A story of a feud between two families, the evil it causes, and the power of love to transcend all.Plot summary
The story begins with 24 year old Jean Isbel in the last stages of a multi-week trip from Oregon to the frontier in Arizona where his family had moved four years earlier to start a cattle ranch. As he nears his destination he meets a woman in the woods, and falls in love at first sight. As they part they learn that they are mortal enemies. She is, Ellen Jorth, and her family is locked in a deadly feud with his.Jean dreads the part his father, Gaston, wants him to play in the feud. He can’t get Ellen out of his mind. They meet again and his words awake in her doubt and fear that her father, Lee Jorth, is not an honorable man but in fact a horse thief and cattle rustler. As events unfold her fears are proved true. Through thick and thin Jean Isbel defends Ellen’s honor and believes the best of her.
The feud erupts into fatal gun battles, first at the Isbel ranch house, and then at the general store in the nearby town. Most of the Isbel and Jorth clans are killed, with several of their allies. The remnant of the Jorths flee with Ellen in tow to a hide-out hidden in a deep box cañon.
Jean and his allies track them and there is a deadly gun battle in the woods nearby. Ellen is forced by one of the three remaining Jorth allies to flee once again. During their flight their horse is shot out from under them. Ellen now on foot meets one of the dying Isbels and finally learns the certain truth that her father, family, and their allies were horse thieves and cattle rustlers as she feared.
When she finally makes her way back to the hide-out, she arrives just after Jean has been forced to take refuge in the loft, unknown to her. One of the two remaining rustlers attacks her with rape in mind but is interrupted by the arrival of the other rustler. Ellen discovers Jean during this interruption. When the rustler returns a few minutes later, Ellen is forced to kill him to protect herself and Jean. A minute later Jean kills the last rustler.
The story ends with Jean and Ellen declaring their love for each other.
Themes
The book is concerned with the destruction deadly violence wreaks on those family members who survive. Grey writes about the intense concern Jean feels for the impact the violence will have on the wives and children whose husbands and fathers will die in the feud.The feud is caused by a love triangle between Gaston Isbel, Lee Jorth, and Ellen the woman both love, and the mother of Ellen Jorth. The story explores how love, betrayal, and jealousy can engender a hate which leads two men to destroy their families, without a thought to the pain and suffering of those relatives who will be left to bury the dead.
Ellen grows from a naïve girl to a woman of understanding under the severe trial of the events which overtake her. She begins to examine critically her own behavior with wisdom and insight. She grows and matures emotionally and psychologically, becoming aware that her father whom she had supported with unquestioning trust, is in fact a scoundrel, a thief, and a thoroughly dishonorable rogue. At the end she acts decisively and fatally to protect herself, her virtue, and the man she loves.
Characters in "To the Last Man"
- Jean Isbel – the hero, a person of mixed race, being part Nez Perce
- Gaston Isbel – Jean's father, and the head of the Isbel faction.
- Guy Isble – Jean's oldest brother.
- Bill Isble – Jean's older brother.
- Ann Isble – Jean's sister.
- Andrew Colmor – Ann's fiancé.
- Jim Blaisdell – Gaston's good friend and supporter.
- Blue – member of the Isbel faction.
- Lee Jorth – the head of the Jorth faction.
- Ellen Jorth – Lee's daughter.
- Tad Jorth – Lee's brother, Ellen's uncle.
- Jackson Jorth – Lee's brother, Ellen's uncle.
- Jim Colter – member of the Jorth faction.
- Springer – member of the Jorth faction.
- Sommers – member of the Jorth faction.
- Rock Wells – member of the Jorth faction.
- Colter – member of the Jorth faction.
- Simm Bruce – member of the Jorth faction.
- Ben Greaves – owner of the General Store.
- John Sprague – Ellen's confidante and only friend.
Publication
In the early 1990s, Jon Tuska, was researching the filmographyFilmography
Filmography is a collective noun for a list of films related by some criterion. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films he or she has appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular director...
of Zane Grey. During this research he discovered that Last of the Duanes and Rangers of the Lone Star were much altered from the holograph
Holograph
A holograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of the person whose signature it bears. Some countries or local jurisdictions within certain countries give legal standing to specific types of holographic documents, generally waiving requirements that they be witnessed...
found "in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet in the Zane Grey, Inc. room where it had survived for eighty years.". This caused him to request that they "tell me of any other manuscripts...that had met a similar fate." The result was the discovery of the complete holographic manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the novel To the Last Man
To the Last Man (Zane Grey)
To the Last Man: A Story of the Pleasant Valley War is a western novel written by Zane Grey.-Origin:To The Last Man is a shorter version of Tonto Basin. Grey submitted the manscript of Tonto Basin to the magazine The Country Gentleman, which published it in serialization as To the Last Man from May...
. A comparison of the holograph with To the Last Man revealed that the holograph was much longer, and contained detail which altered the meaning of the story. The complete uncut version was published in 2004.
See also
- To the Last ManTo the Last Man (film)To the Last Man is a 1923 film directed by Victor Fleming and based on a novel by Zane Grey.-Cast:*Richard Dix as Jean Isbel*Lois Wilson as Ellen Jorth*Noah Beery as Colter*Robert Edeson as Gaston Isbel*Frank Campeau as Blue...
is a 1933 Henry HathawayHenry HathawayHenry Hathaway was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring John Wayne.-Background:...
film based on the Zane GreyZane GreyZane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
novel starring Randolph ScottRandolph ScottRandolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
, Esther RalstonEsther RalstonEsther Ralston was an American movie actress whose greatest popularity came during the silent era.-Early life and career:...
, Buster CrabbeBuster CrabbeClarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
, Barton MacLaneBarton MacLaneBarton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
, Noah Beery, Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
, and Eugenie BessererEugenie BessererEugenie Besserer was an actress born in Watertown, New York of French Canadian parents, who starred in silent films and features of the early sound motion picture era, beginning in 1910.- Orphan in Canada:...
. - Frederick Russell BurnhamFrederick Russell BurnhamFrederick Russell Burnham, DSO was an American scout and world traveling adventurer known for his service to the British Army in colonial Africa and for teaching woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell, thus becoming one of the inspirations for the founding of the international Scouting Movement.Burnham...
participated on the losing side in the real-life Tonto Basin feud and narrowly escaped alive. After the feud, he went home to CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and left for AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
only a few years later.
- Tonto Basin Outlaws (1941) - A film based very loosely on the Tonto Basin feud. These cowboys are out to stop a cattle-rustling scandal soon after they enlist with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough RidersRough RidersThe Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. The United States Army was weakened and left with little manpower after the American Civil War...
. In the real-life feud, one man did go on to join the Rough Riders.