The Character of Rick Tyler (Essay Sample)

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The Character of Rick Tyler
Mary Noailles Murfree, the author of the storybook, The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains, seems to reflect the feelings that individuals undergo when they are threatened with dislocation. Written under the pen name Charles Egbert Craddrock, the novel explores the tension that is caused by the encroaching Tennessee state authority on the lives of the mountaineers. It is evident in the fate of Rick Tyler, a young man who is wrongfully accused of murder. The false accusation made Rick flee rather than him sitting back to fight his case. One of the finest actions of Tyler in the novel is the time when he fought with Sherriff. The novel focuses on four main characters Rick Tyler, Greene, Dorinda, and Kelsey. Each of the characters is strong and plays their role perfectly as explored by the author in the novel.
The novel begins with a meeting between Tyler and Dorinda, who seem to understand each other. Both are aware of each other's background and nature (Craddrock, chap. 1). Further, the novel introduces yet another character Kelsey is a religious man. The novel then moves on to the search of Tyler, who is falsely accused of murder. The Sheriff (Cajah Greene) has even issued a reward for whoever manages to capture Tyler.
The character that we shall study in this paper is Rick Tyler. We shall first analyze his character before moving further to know what is American about him.
First, Rick Tyler is a romantic but not a disillusioned person. From the opening part of the novel, it is evident that he is in love with Dorinda. However, he is not a patient type of person, as jealous befalls him about Kelsey's presence in Dorinda's house. He knows that Kelsey is interested in falling in love with Dorinda whom Tyler loves and would want to be with her until eternity. The jealous Rick feels when he sees Kelsey in Dorinda's house proves that he loved Dorinda and would not like anybody to interfere with their relationship.
Secondly, he is courageous and strong. The fight between Rick and Sherriff seem to be one of the finest points in the novel. It shows that Rick was courageous enough to fight with the Sheriff despite him knowing the position that the Sheriff held in the Mountaineers region. At the beginning of the book, Rick introduced the Sherriff as a ‘raider" who is a feared leader by the ‘intruders' (Craddrock, chap. 1). He says that Sheriff was in charge of arresting lawbreakers in the Mountaineers region who was accorded a massive, powerful frame. Despite this, Rick did not hesitate to hold a fight with him which shows his courage.
Thirdly, Rick is a fearful person. When Rick was wrongly accused of murder, he chose to flee away rather than remain and face the case against him. This implies that indeed Rick feared an encounter with the law and especially the outcome after the case hearing. Rick knew that if he got into the hands of Sherriff, who was in charge of lawbreakers then he was going to face it rough.
Fourth, Rick is friendly. At the beginning of the text, Rick addresses Dorinda in a friendly tone, and he is ready to understand her background. Rick seems to be in good terms with nearly all the characters in the book. He is a friend to Kelsey but only starts getting worried when Kelsey is seen visiting Dorinda's house who is Rick's lover. He remains silent just to maintain their friendship but reaches a time when he could not entertain Kelsey's behavior. This makes him break his friendship with Kelsey towards the end of the Novel.
Lastly, Rick is time conscious. When he found out that he had been wrongfully framed for murder, he waited for no time for further proves. He immediately decides on fleeing out of the Mountaineers region. Secondly, when he spots Kelsey in Dorinda's house, he waits no time and immediately begins questioning and getting jealous of this action. The quick manner in which Rick reacted to certain actions in the novel shows that he was indeed time conscious.
In conclusion, not all of Rick's characters are American but just a fe...