Tales of the frontier and the American west have fascinated readers and viewers for hundreds of years. Western movies which were ever popular in the middle of the 20st century can partially be attributed to the fantastical tales of dime novels around the turn of the century. The frontier was seen as a hectic place with no laws and many dangerous people which strikes both fear and curiosity in many readers, especially young boys. Buffalo Bill is a dime novel series that specifically takes place in this romanticized land of the American West. Most Buffalo Bill issues deal with a different villain and usually illustrate racial undertones and ignorance. “Buffalo Bill’s Border War or The Mexican” is no exception, as it portrays Mexican citizens in a negative light.

At the very start of the story, we are transported to Wild Bill witnessing a bullfight in the Mexican town of San Luis. The bullfight is described as a savage, barbaric event with the spectators being especially bloodthirsty (2). The author describes the torero as somewhat cowardly in his elusion of the charging bull, and describes the stabbing of the beast as particularly primitive and brutal. After this, Wild Bill ends up falling into the ring whereupon he enters a duel with the bullfighter. The spectators are portrayed to be “mad with the blood lust which bullfighting begets, (and) shrieking to the torero to kill the gringo” (3). Wild Bill deftly talks, fights, and eventually escapes from the eminent danger only to be captured later in the story by an unruly gang of banditos. He soon escapes with the aid of his partner Buffalo Bill, the hero of the series, at which point they lead a stealthy attack on the bandits, capturing them and bringing them to justice (26).

Like many dime novels this story seems a bit formulaic, however it not only illustrates many of the cultural beliefs of the time, but also appeals to the romantic quality of the West that inspires so many young readers. Buffalo Bill’s Border War’s portrayal of the Mexicans is extremely ignorant and racially prejudiced. The bullfight, an age-old tradition in both Mexico and Spain, is illustrated as a heartless, malevolent event which borders on hedonistic behavior. The event is almost likened to the gladiator days of ancient Rome, where the crowd’s only desire is to see bloodshed and barbarianism. The banditos are portrayed as a devious and cunning bunch that “needs watching as if they snakes” (6). One reason for this negative portrayal could be from some of the authors and perhaps much of America’s lingering prejudices over the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Buffalo Bill is a character that seems to define the enchanting vision of the unruly and rugged frontier shared by millions of young boys during the early 20st century. He is the ideal masculine figure that remains cool under pressure and is very skilled with the blade and in combat. He is the perfect hero to conquer the perils of the frontier, and travel into new territory and the unfamiliar foes that lie in wait. Perhaps it is simply an innate fascination with the unknown that fueled reader’s ongoing obsession with the American West and the sale of dime fiction. It is evident; however, that literature and movies about the frontier have and will continue to shape our country’s notion of the West, albeit romanticized.