The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-heteronormative romantic arcs. It focuses on a deeply intimate platonic bond between two men without presenting non-cisnormative identities.

The narrative shifts focus from hyper-masculine conquest toward domestic and social spaces. Female characters navigate significant social and economic constraints within the frontier setting.

The film features a central partnership between a Black man and a white man, alongside a significant Chinese immigrant character. These figures are granted agency and professional competence.

The story critiques early capitalist structures and the corrosive nature of economic desperation. It portrays Western expansion as a landscape of survival rather than heroic destiny.

No characters with visible or invisible disabilities are central to the narrative arc.