Erskine Caldwell's Short Story 'The Daughter'

The short story The Daughter by Erskine Caldwell, is a very interesting story with lots of action. Some actions are wrong and should not be played out, but some actions are good. Even though this story is dated back to a very long time ago, it can relate to many people in the present. This story can also make good points in some spots, but overall Jim Carlisle should not have been allowed to go free. Jim. like most other fathers, probably wanted his daughter Clara to be happy. Jim had “been working all year and I made enough for all of us to eat”(37), but it obviously wasn’t enough for his daughter because she was always hungry. Jim used a different way of solving his problems; he shot his daughter. This is absolutely psychotic and down right scary. No father should ever take action of killing their own kids on purpose. Some citizens wanted to believe that “It must have been an accident”(35), this is because what Jim did is horrifying. He could have avoided killing her and solved his problems in so many ways. Jim could have worked harder and earned more money and then

The sheriff was always cautious and nervous around Jim because he knew that he was mentally deranged. The sheriff always tells the prisoner, “Now, take it easy, Jim boy”(39). The sheriff always tells him this because he knows that anyone who is willing to kill their own daughter is an aggressive person and is very dangerous. Towards the end of the story the sheriff takes fast and cautious actions. After the townspeople let Jim out of his prison cell, the sheriff “turned and started walking rapidly up the street towards his house”(39). He takes these actions because he is afraid of the killer that was just let loose. The actions the sheriff takes around Jim shows that he is very fearful and attentative of Jim’s