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Literary Fiction: Annie Oakley Meets Annie T. Hastings
In the novel “The Travels of Annie T. Hastings," the 70 year old woman protagonist is a birthmother on a mission: to find the daughter she gave away 35 years earlier. On a shoestring budget she crosses the country on this quest. Of the several themes apparent in the novel, one theme is clear: Annie T. Hastings is much like Annie Oakley. The obvious connection is the name, but there are more subtle connections that will be explored in this essay.
The opening line clearly connects Annie T. Hastings to Annie Oakley. “The first things packed were the porcelain dolls. The last thing was the gun.” Both Annies had guns. Annie T. Hastings refers to hers in the second sentence of her journal. It is a part of her and a symbol of her personality. There are two sides to both Annies. Annie Oakley had her guns but also was a lover of men, one being Frank Butler. The contemporary Annie T. Hastings has her rifle and becomes a lover of men, though she certainly does not start out that way. The rifle symbolizes the strength, vitality and potential dangerous disposition of both women. This is certainly true of Annie T. Hastings who seems to be in combat with most of the people she comes in contact with. Annie T. Hastings’ rifle is a symbol of her constant state of war with the world. Her perception of life and people are askew and this creates constant tension for her. And the gun represents that part of her. (The porcelain dolls, the first things packed, represents her maternal side, her loving side which she finds hard to reveal.)
Unlike Annie Oakley, Annie T. Hastings is not a good shot. This is a connection through antithesis. Annie Hastings’ rifle is fired only once at a turning point in the story. Unlike Oakley who practiced shooting, Hastings has little desire to use her gun and even suspects that it would do little in her battle with the “negative energy” that she perceives is attacking her. This is made clear early in the first journal when she says, “…pea-shooters, like my rifle, aren’t much help against that kind of force.” The connection through antithesis is also clear in that Oakley fires her gun at targets; Hastings has her gun for protection, and she intends to use it on people if necessary. She even sleeps with it when she stays in a rundown motel in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. One of the most insightful lines of her story is when she states, “And I’m planning to sleep atop the bedcovers with the Rimfire [her rifle] across my chest. The loaded gun, like men sometimes, seems like a necessary thing, but I don’t sleep well with either one.” Here Hastings demonstrates her anxiety with men and her anxiety at being vulnerable, hence her gun.
The connection of the two Annies is also seen in their ages – again the opposite highlights the connection. The Oakley we know from movies and plays is young and vibrant. Hastings, on the other hand, is slightly past seventy. Both are adventurous. Both are portrayed as sassy and feisty. Both are unique personalities that break the molds of their time. Both women are based on real life women who had extraordinary lives. Both are complex. Annie T. Hastings is an American woman who, like Oakley, deserves to become a classic character. But one must decide for oneself after reading “The Travels of Annie T. Hastings.” This is truly a work of literary fiction, samples of which can be seen at amazon.com.
About the Author
English professor and screenwriter, co-author of "The Climb," a film produced by Worldvision. See anniehastings.com
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