Key Facts
full title · Shane
author · Jack Schaefer
type of work · Novel
genre · Young adult, Fiction, Old West Fiction
language · English
time and place written · First a short story written in 1945, then expanded to the full text in 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia
date of first publication · 1949
publisher · Houghton Mifflin
narrator · Bob Starrett
point of view · First person, reflecting the point of view of Bob Starrett
tone · Grave; serious; stoic.
tense · Past
setting (time) · The book begins in the summer of 1889 and continues the next year.
setting (place) · The Starrett's farm in the wilderness of Wyoming
protagonist · Shane; Joe Starrett
major conflict · The Starretts' refusal to sell their land to Fletcher and the resulting confrontation with Fletcher and his men
rising action · Shane's decision to ride into town to take care of Chris after realizing that his decision not to fight was plaguing all of the homesteaders, especially Joe
climax · The fight in which Fletcher's men gang up against Shane; some also consider the fight between Shane and Stark Wilson as the climax.
falling action · After the fight with Wilson, Shane's brief conversation with Bob about having to leave because killing "marks" a man, no matter the circumstances
themes · Coming of age; what it means to be a man; different kinds of danger, different kinds of fear
motifs · Loyalty; vigilance; love of a different name
symbols · The tree stump; the fence post; Shane's gun
foreshadowing · Bob uncovering Shane's particularly dangerous looking gun; Shane's many predictions about Fletcher's tactics—such as predicting that Fletcher would goad Ernie and then Joe; Joe and Shane's unending wariness
