The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence Essay

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In the story of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, a young lawyer by the name of Ransom Stoddard moves out West to a place that is referred to as “south of the picket wire.” After some research it has been suggested that this area referred to the Purgatoire River in Arkansas. On his way to the town of Shinbone, Ransom Stoddard’s stagecoach is robbed by a gang lead by the most notorious criminal in the area, Liberty Valence. Valence takes everthing thing of Stoddard’s other then his law books and some clothes and then brutally beats him. Left for dead, Stoddard is found by Tom Doniphan, the real toughest man in the area, who takes him to town to be treated. In an exchange between Doniphan and Stoddard about Liberty Valence Doniphon reveals that Stoddard is too soft to take on Valence because, “Liberty Valence is the toughest man south of the picket wire, next to me!” From that day forward Stoddard began to teach at the local school house and opened his own law office and eventually was voted as the territory’s representative to Washington, over Liberty Valence, so they could reach statehood. An enraged Liberty Valence takes his anger out on the innocent people of Shinbone such as the local newspaper editor, Mr. Peabody. After Valence and his goons finished destroying the newspaper office and beating Mr. Peabody, Valence is challenged by Ransom Stoddard to a gunfight. During the fight Stoddard is easily overwhelmed and outmatched by Liberty Valence who begins to toy with him. However, Valence takes to long and is shot dead by what appears to be Stoddard, but in actuality was Tom Doniphon who had been overseeing the fight from a dark alley. Doniphon does not tell anyone other than his sidekick, Pompey, whom saw everything. The town of Shinbone is lead to believe that Ransom Stoddard was the man who shot Liberty Valence and he becomes a folk hero. His reputation alone

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