The 1956 film The Searchers is set in Texas during the Texas Indian Wars in the late 1800s. The main character in the film is Ethan Edwards played by John Wayne. Edwards is a Civil War veteran who fought in the Confederate Army and is vehemently racist. He also implied that he had a somewhat dark past due to his refusal to take the oath and become a Texas Ranger due to the large amount of mysterious gold in his possession. Debbie is Edwards' niece and is a child when he comes to the family home after the war. She is then kidnapped by Comanche Indians and taken as a wife by Scar, the leader of a Comanche tribe. Martin Pawley is Debbie's adopted brother and joins Edwards in his quest to find Debbie; he is also of Indian descent and is not accepted as family by Edwards. Martin has a romantic interest in a woman named Laurie who lends him a horse when Edwards leaves him to travel alone. Martin writes letters to Laurie during his trip with Edwards. The main conflict of the film is Ethan Edwards' quest to find his niece Debbie who has been taken by a Comanche tribe....