“The Searchers” demonstrate America’s desire to reinstate gender roles after World War II. Post-war issues plagued the American psyche and John Ford’s film wrestles with question of masculinity. Through the portrayal of characters, Ford establishes a film to which Americans related. John Wayne’s character Ethan struggles between the domesticated space and the unruly terrain. He stands outside society and the law; therefore, he represents the unassimilated man. Ethan signifies the American hero. Ford presents another social issue of the era. He depicts an intense racism between Ethan and Scar. This relationship mirrors the racism reverberating throughout America in the 1950s. A final theme that Ford introduces is community. Ford believed in a strong sense of communal spirit. The film illustrates the importance communal rituals and strength; however, Ford also gives us the antithesis of community in the character in of Ethan. “The Searchers” embodies a timeless film whose Western genre does not hinder its social and cultural significance