The Virginian · Character

Dr. MacBride

The Rev. Dr. Alexander MacBride, a minister-physician whose stern Calvinist sermons on damnation land on cowboys with grotesque untimeliness.

supporting

Also known as the Rev. Dr. Alexander MacBride, the doctor, the Doctor, The Doctor

First appearance: XIX: Dr. Macbride Begs Pardon

As a supporting figure in The Virginian, Dr. MacBride is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The missionary who arrives at Sunk Creek, seeking Judge Henry; his rigid demeanor contrasts with the Western setting.

In the storyXVIII: "Would You Be a Parson?"Open this moment free

See Dr. MacBride in XVIII: "Would You Be a Parson?"Book page

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Dr. MacBride serves Bear Creek as both preacher and doctor, officiating weddings and tending bodies while preaching a theology of wrath. His sermon to the cowboys — 'They are altogether become filthy' — offers no ray of hope, no homely talk of their special hardships, only dogma naked as iron. He matters because his failure to reach the men he shepherds throws into relief the human warmth the frontier must supply for itself.

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See Dr. MacBride in XIX: Dr. Macbride Begs Pardon

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Dr. MacBride sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Ranch Community Core
Protagonist

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak where the Virginian, after a long…

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Relationships

The Virginian
friendship · positive
The Virginian
friendship · positive

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Dr. MacBride in XIX: Dr. Macbride Begs Pardon

In the story

Dr. MacBride appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XVIII: "Would You Be a Parson?"
The missionary who arrives at Sunk Creek, seeking Judge Henry; his rigid demeanor contrasts with the Western setting.
XIX: Dr. Macbride Begs Pardon
A stern missionary who criticizes the Virginian's lying as immoral, insists on the need for sermons, and is billeted with the narrator.
XX: The Judge Ignores Particulars
Visiting to hold a service; criticized by Judge Henry for lacking understanding of Christianity.
XXI: In a State of Sin
Dr. MacBride delivers a harsh sermon on original sin, failing to connect with the cowboys. He is described as tactless but personally brave, and plans to continue northward.
XXII: “What Is a Rustler?”
Mentioned as the missionary whose visit was shortened by the Virginian's actions.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Dr. MacBride unlock in the free preview.

See Dr. MacBride in XIX: Dr. Macbride Begs Pardon

See Dr. MacBride in XVIII: "Would You Be a Parson?"