Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Contention

The name of the town where the story takes place, Contention, hints at more than just a good setting for a shootout in the Wild West. Contention symbolizes the tipping point between a lawless society where might makes right and a stable society of laws and consequences. As the name implies, this is the battlefield upon which the fight for the rule of law in the American West will take place. The characters in the story represent two different visions for society. Through their actions, Kidd’s posse and Bob Moons contend that a person ought to get away with whatever they are able to, and by whatever means. Paul Scallen and the U.S. justice system, on the other hand, contend that society can only function under the rule of law, where criminals are brought to justice by the authorities.

The “contention” between these two sides is the central battle that played out in real life in towns across the western United States in the late 19th century. In reality, the Wild West would ultimately be tamed, and the rule of law would prevail, but “Three-Ten to Yuma” suggests there was a moment in time when this outcome was anything but certain. The town of Contention in “Three-Ten to Yuma” symbolizes that pivotal moment in time.