MovieChat Forums > Lonesome Dove (1989) Discussion > Boots and Horse Thieves

Boots and Horse Thieves

posted 6 years ago by wsg (16)
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When McCrae, Call, and party catch the four horse thieves, they make them take off their boots before hanging them. Why? Were they taking the boots as booty (sorry, couldn't resist), or is hanging men bootless symbolic of something?

[–] CaptainGusMcCrae (5) a year ago

In the Old West it was considered honorable to “die with your boots on”, in other words, like a man. By making the murderers take their boots off, they are expressing contempt and disrespect. Jake was allowed to keep his boots on, because of their history with him.