The cowboy represents what many Americans believe is the essence of being American. Living by a moral code of honor, the cowboy's story is the struggle for independence. His image is the embodiment of strength and masculinity. The cowboy is the construction of an American ideal for a culture based on idealism. Furthermore, the classic western theme of conquering frontiers with honor extends as a theme for our society and its role in the world. Our belief that the cowboy is noble and good clearly masks the dark side of his historic past. In assessing actual American history or musing the great American mandate of manifest destiny, the cowboy actually invokes feelings of fear, violence, exploitation, genocide, racism, and sexism. The difference between the accepted cowboy myth and the historic reality is what is fascinating about the icon.