MDMD Dixon's act of nonviolence

[Scott Badger]

Doug:
> I don't think Dixon is that worried about being hurt himself in the moment
> of the encounter.  The slaves urge him to leave ("but you'd better go,
> right now") but Dixon stays:  "Despite this sound Counsel, Dixon still
> greatly desires to kill the Driver, cringing there among the Waggon-Ruts.
> What's a man of Conscience to do? It is frustrating.")
>
> What's frustrating?  Having a conscience that won't let him kill the
> driver. He does stay long enough to lecture the driver, however.
>

Though I won't deny some ambiguity here, I'm still not convinced. I see a
Dixon who is very enthusiastic in his attentions to the slave-driver, '"Now
then!", cries Dixon merrily.', right up to the point where one of the slaves
advises that the '"Sheriff's men'll be here any moment"', meaning he'll be
arrested, or worse, if he doesn't make tracks, and quick. At this point,
Dixon is torn between the slave's 'sound Counsel'(that the cops are on the
way) and his desire to 'kill the Driver', and he chooses flight. His shrill,
'"If I see *you* again, *you* are a dead man."' doesn't sound to me like
someone who just chose not to engage in violence for moral reasons.

Scott Badger