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Treasure Mountain

            Throughout the classic western, Treasure Mountain, written by Louis L"Amour, the main character goes through many internal and external conflicts. The author portrays his themes in more of a straightforward manner as opposed to using any type of symbolism or metaphor.
             The novel revolves around Orrin Sackett, a lawyer in the late 1800's. He lived in the northern portion of the country. He learns his father has died while on a gold mining trip in New Orleans. Instead of using indirect characterization to show a character's state of mind, L"Amour uses an omniscient point of view to assure the reader that the character's suspicisions are genuine. Orrin has his own theories regarding his father's mysterious death and plans to investigate them further. Orrin theorizes his father and those who have accompanied him to New Orleans found gold. Being a fair person, he knows his father would have taken his share and handed the remainder over the rightful owners. When the other members of the mining party return North empty handed, Orrin thinks they killed his father for his share of the gold and buried all of the gold with the intent of returning to the mountain to retrieve it. L"Amour avoids complex flashbacks, but the events are narrated in chronological order in an attempt to keep the reader involved in the action at the present moment.
             Sackett travels to New Orleans where he stays with his brother, all the while searching for clues about his father. On his search, he finds his theory is correct. The men he suspected of killing his father were guilty. Orrin went to New Orleans with the intent of seeking revenge on those involved in his father's murder. However as circumstances would have it, each of these individuals met with an untimely death leaving the unclaimed gold to be found by Orrin and his brother. Here the absence of symbolism and flashback assure the reader that the tone is positively and presently dangerous.


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2. The Hobbit

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3. The Hobbit

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6. Pompeii

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