Once family comes in between the law, the way a person thinks about the situation no longer goes with what is the right thing to do, instead on how it will affect the family.
To begin with, Wes is the sheriff of Bentrock and when Gail, his wife, finds out about Frank, his brother, sexually abusing Indian women he does not know what to do. He is stuck between ignoring this situation or doing what is right. ¨I wish you wouldn’t have told the sheriff¨ (48), Wes mentioned. He knows that he has to do the right thing, but being in the position of a sheriff he has to do something about this now. The fact that Frank is his brother triggers his actions to be different from what a sheriff would actually do.
Furthermore, when Wes finally decided to do something about Frank he does not do what a normal sheriff would have done. Instead he locked him up in his own basement. "This isn't about family, this is legal matter" (116), Wes stated. Grandfather Julian replied furiously, "Bullshit. Then why have you got him locked up here and not over at the jail? This is your brother here. My son!" (116). This again shows another example of how Wes is not able to put aside the fact that this is family who is going against the law. He thinks that just by keeping him locked up in the basement is enough punishment.
In addition, Gail wants Wes
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He sends a group of guys to Wes's house, one of them being Dale Paris. " These men must have figured, with Grandpa's help, than Frank was in the basement, and that rear door was the way they were going in after him" (132). Again, he is thinking more about getting Frank out, rather than how what Frank does is against the law. If this were to be another person , Grandfather Julian would want them arrested and put in jail. The fact that this is his son changes his mind set and sees him as an innocent person, although he is