He is rescued by Tom Doniphon, (John Wayne), who immediately portrays the tough, fearless western hero we have had all come to expect in a good Western film. He of course had a trusty sidekick, Pompey, who actually was his servant, but most definitely his friend, and sidekick. Fords Characters where typical, but it seems stereotypical behavior was what he wanted from his cast, to define his portrayal of the story at hand.
As the movie unfolds, Ransom Stoddard not only started to intrigue Hallie, but his character was one of spirit, who quickly intrigued the audience, and captured there approval as he stood up for himself, and fought to establish what he believed in. Even though he was skinny, and couldn't even hold a gun, he somehow was winning the hearts of those around him, and the audience. This was most definitely one of his strengths. He was an educated man, yet that meant nothing to the small town of Shinbone, it was therefore necessary for him to also be a humble man, having found that there was no interest for a lawyer in Shinbone, he worked washing dishes, and even serving tables, establishing friendships, and repaying those he was indebted to. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and was willing to sacrifice to accomplish his goals He never lost sight of his goals, even though those around him showed little or no support, and most tried to discourage him. Another strength that Ransom had, was he had experienced life outside of the west, he knew of the benefits of law, and the growth a town could experience through organization, and laws to govern. He had hope, and brought hope for the town of Shinbone, who had never experienced this, and had come to accept living in fear of gunslingers like Liberty Valance, and his men. This experience of living back east was at the same time a weakness or a failing that Jimmy Stewarts character portrayed. He had to learn a new way of life, and had to realize that he was in a land where quoting passages and so called "laws" from his law books where not going to do him much good, especially when confronted with men like Liberty Valance.
