“There are other ways of going straight, you know.”
Por qué es buena
It insists there is still an honest future, quietly holding on to dignity.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
There are other ways of making a living besides this job.
00:00 / 02:14
00:00 / 02:14
Butch and Etta Discuss the Future, Explained
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid · 1969
Capítulo 12 de 12 · 2'14"
Butch and Sundance talk about quitting robbery: there are other ways of going straight, they agree, but farming is unknown and a ranch is a young man's game. Then Etta raises the idea of going home ahead of them, and the easy mood shifts. 'Whatever you want, Etta,' is all anyone can say.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:02–0:56
Butch and Sundance Weigh Going Straight
55s
Butch and Etta Discuss the Future, explained
What happens
Butch and Sundance are weighing what else they could do besides robbing. Somebody suggests there are other ways of going straight, and they run through options: farming, buying a place, running a ranch. Neither likes the work, and a ranch, they agree, is a job for a young man. Then Etta mentions maybe heading home before them.
What's really going on
The talk of farming and ranches is really a talk about whether these two men can imagine any life at all outside robbery. They run through the options without much conviction, and one of them says you have to be young to start a ranch. Etta's quiet 'Maybe I'll go' exposes what the men avoid: the partnership has no plan for a future that doesn't involve running. Nobody argues with her. The 'Whatever you want, Etta' that follows sounds generous, but it also clears the way for her to leave.
Key lines & what they mean
- “There are other ways of going straight, you know.”
- Someone points out that leaving crime behind doesn't have to mean only one thing; there are options.
- “The last time we tried a ranch was during our rustlin' days.”
- Their only ranching experience came while they were stealing cattle, so the idea isn't as innocent as it sounds.
- “No, you gotta be a kid to start a ranch.”
- Starting a ranch takes youth and stamina they no longer have, so the idea is ruled out.
- “Etta's thinking of maybe goin' home ahead of us.”
- One of the men relays Etta's plan to leave first, turning her private thought into news for the group.
Theme
- Identity — The men try to picture who they could be without robbery, but every other identity feels out of reach.
- Friendship — The three companions talk about a shared future, yet Etta's news quietly pulls the group apart.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel4/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“The last time we tried a ranch was during our rustlin' days.”
Por qué es buena
One candid memory of their cattle-stealing past quietly kills the ranch dream.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
The last time we tried a diet was before the wedding.
“No, you gotta be a kid to start a ranch.”
Por qué es buena
It wraps the plain fact of aging inside a joke about who can still start over.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
You gotta be a kid to learn a language that fast.
“Etta's thinking of maybe goin' home ahead of us.”
Por qué es buena
He reports her hesitation instead of his own, hiding a wish to keep her close.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Tom's thinking of maybe moving teams next year.
Ideas clave
Lo que te llevas- Every honest option is closed before the farewell arrives.
- Etta's soft maybe carries more weight than an argument.
- The men answer her with permission, not protest.
- Even going straight is imagined as a young man's game.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhat does "going straight" mean?
It means giving up crime and living honestly. The scene's idea is that there are other ways to do it besides robbing, though the men can't settle on one.
Why don't Butch and Sundance become ranchers?
They admit they were never much good at ranching, don't know how to farm, and figure starting a ranch takes a young man's energy.
Why does Etta decide to go home?
She's thinking about it on her own and says maybe she'll go. The men don't try to stop her—'Whatever you want, Etta'—so she takes that as permission and leaves.
Is the farm and ranch talk serious?
It's half-serious at best. They list options but shoot each one down, which shows they can't really picture a life without robbery.