Geography of a Horse Dreamer (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

At a glance:

  • Author: Sam Shepard
  • First Published: 1974
  • Type of Work: Play
  • Type of Plot: Mythic
  • Time of Work: The 1970’s
  • Setting: England
  • Genres: Drama
  • Subjects: 1970’s
  • Locales: England

Characters Discussed

Cody, a clairvoyant who, in his dreams, foresees the results of horse races before they occur. Kidnapped from Wyoming and taken to England by criminals who exploit his talent, he is, as the play begins, suffering from the loss of his powers, which he regains in the course of the action. Sensitive, misunderstood, and a conduit for energies beyond his control, Cody clearly is in the mold of the Romantic artist.

Santee and

Beaujo, criminal underlings who are Cody’s keepers. Outfitted like gangsters of the 1940’s, Santee and Beaujo follow a pattern well established on stage and screen. Santee is the “bad” guard, harsh in his treatment of their prisoner and contemptuous of Cody’s gift; Beaujo is the “good” guard, sympathetic and somewhat in awe of Cody.

Fingers, a gambler, Santee and Beaujo’s chief. Tall, slender, and full of affectations, Fingers is an artist manque; he appears to be excessively eager to establish a rapport with Cody.

The Doctor, Fingers’ lieutenant. The stage directions specify that he should resemble the cinematic villain Sydney Greenstreet; with his black bag, his unpredictable violence, and his chilling amorality, the doctor lives up to his prototype.

Jasper and

Jason, Cody’s brothers. Appearing only at the conclusion to rescue their brother, shotgunning his captors, these hulking figures in cowboy garb are borrowed from the mythology of the Old West.

Sources for Further Study

Bigsby, C. W. E. “Sam Shepard.” In Beyond Broadway. Vol. 3 in A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985.

Brustein, Robert. “The Shepard Enigma.” The New Republic 194 (January 27, 1986): 25-28.

DeRose, David J. Sam Shepard. New York: Twayne, 1992.

Herman, William. “Geography of a Play Dreamer: Sam Shepard.” In Understanding Contemporary American Drama. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1987.

King, Kimball. Sam Shepard: A Casebook. New York: Garland, 1988.

Marranca, Bonnie, ed. American Dreams: The Imagination of Sam Shepard. New York: Performing Arts Journal, 1981.

Sessums, Kevin. “Sam Shepard: Geography of a Horse Dreamer.” Interview 18 (September, 1988): 70-79.

Wilcox, Leonard. Rereading Shepard. Basingstoke, England: MacMillan, 1993.