Their Grace
A lot of these traits are stereotypically male in some regards, but another forgotten aspect of Sheridan’s writing is he’s not trying to create female characters who exhibit traditionally 6male characteristics, he’s trying to show women of all types who are equals in every respect. When audiences of 1883 see Elsa wear pants instead of a skirt while becoming a cowboy in her own right, it’s a symbol of function and their aforementioned resolve more than it is the “masculinization” of Elsa.
The women of 1883 and Yellowstone are still feminine, considering their respective time periods and environments. The superficial characteristic of being stunningly beautiful aside, these women are still women. They fall in love, they want to be loved, they want to care for their family, and be a good partner to the men in their lives. And while this may not be an article about those men, it’s important to address the men these women have found.
The reason James doesn’t stop Elsa from doing what she wants or loving who she wants to love is because she’s just like her mother in so many respects, and that’s the key word… respect. James respects the strength of Margaret, and he wants to foster that in Elsa. When Elsa challenges her role in society, she asks the enamored Ennis if he’s ever seen a girl like her before, and when Ennis admits she’s one of a kind, you can see how much he loves that about Elsa.
In Yellowstone, Rip often calls Beth ‘crazy’ with a smile on his face, knowing that no one can truly ‘tame’ this woman, nor does he want to. This respect among partners, this bond between lovers or fathers and daughters or husbands and wives is a trait that isn’t pushed to the forefront all the time, but it allows the female characters to embody modern ideals of womanhood even if the show takes place in 1883. With 140 years of family pedigree like that, it’s no wonder Beth is one of the strongest members of the family.
Their Sacrifice
The Sheridan balance can be seen in more than just the careful yin and yang of gender roles. For all the toughness shown by almost any character, male or female, we’ve seen them all go through loss… and feel it. It’s a great reminder that these bloodthirsty, vengeance seeking cowboys and cowgirls are still in fact, human.
But the losses two of the Dutton women have felt actually define them. Elsa, after losing Ennis perhaps didn’t completely change, but if compared to the bonnet wearing, rosy-cheeked child she was only a few episodes ago, she’s matured, and it would be very easy to say, she’s become a Dutton woman, in fact.
We saw a similar switch flip on Beth through a series of flashbacks. One tells the story of how she lost her mother in a riding accident. An accident where Beth may not have been completely at fault, but certainly felt her mother blamed her. This made her act out even more, seducing a young Rip, and forcing herself into more adult situations.
Eventually this led to a young Beth becoming pregnant, and not knowing what to do, asking her brother Jamie for help. Jamie made a massive error in judgment, and while attempting to help his sister, brought her to a clinic that sterilized her. This justifiable grudge is something Beth has never forgiven Jamie for, and was the ultimate catalyst in becoming who she is. Both women had their innocence ripped from them, and had no choice but to become stronger, adult versions of themselves. A loss of their childhood, even when separated by completely different lives is a tragic but common trait our two female protagonists share.