The Sherrif's Childern

When I first started reading "The Sheriff's Children" I was, to be honest, a little bored. The beginning was tedious and the author used very "flowery" and descriptive language that went on for quite so time. However the further I read the more intrigued I became. I thought that it was an interesting story that really made me think. In the beginning I liked the sheriff's character a lot. I thought he was very noble for standing up for the prisoner and running the mob away. However when we found out who the prisoner was, and what the relationship between he two was, I began to lose my interest in the sheriff. I still thought it was noble that he was so committed to his duty and responsibilities, however I think he might have taken his beliefs too far. Sometimes doing what you're supposed to and doing what's right are not the same thing. I knew that if the prisoner was taken to court the judge would find him guilty and he would be hanged. This, to me, did not seem like an option, because though out the story I believed that the prisoner was, in fact, innocent. I think the sheriff knew this as well, and was torn between what to do. Towards the end of the story I was really rooting for the prisoner to be free. However the sheriff was standing in his way. I do not believe that he wanted or would able to shot his father, however I so believe that choice crossed his mind. It was his life or the sheriff's. It is hard to believe that such a dutiful man would have let the prisoner escape without a fight. Had the prisoner lived I do believe that the sheriff would have done what he could to make sure he was found innocent. I think that the sheriff knew he had made a mistake when he sold his son, however I also think he would have done anything to fulfill his duty as sheriff, no matter the guilt. Overall I did like this story a lot. It was quite lengthy in the beginning, however I thought it had a strong ending and was a very interesting story to think about.