Which character provides the moral counterpoint to vengeance?

• A. Mattie Ross, who questions vengeance and seeks a just outcome.
• B. Rooster Cogburn.
• C. LeBoeuf.
• D. Tom Chaney.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is identifying who embodies a moral stance that questions vengeance and pushes for a just outcome. Mattie Ross stands in this role because she consistently questions the impulse to take swift revenge and instead pursues a path of justice through the legal process. After her father is killed, she insists that Chaney be captured and brought to court, not simply killed on the spot. This resolve to seek a fair punishment, even when violence seems like the easiest route, creates the moral counterpoint to the more brutal, vengeance-minded approach around her.

Rooster Cogburn represents a relentless, gun-slinging pursuit of the target, driven by practicality and grit rather than moral restraint. LeBoeuf adds his own bravado and partnership in the hunt, but the counterpoint to vengeance isn’t his main impulse. Tom Chaney is the object of vengeance and the villain whose actions drive the conflict, not the voice challenging vengeance. Mattie’s insistence on justice over personal revenge makes her the best match for this moral contrast.