Harris’s Compromise

American Rust

Harris’s attempt to preserve order and protect people he loves repeatedly tests the boundary between discretion, favoritism, and criminal conduct.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Hidden Jacket The Hidden Jacket from "American Rust". The Hidden Jacket An instinctive intervention Bud Harris finds Billy Poe’s jacket in the machine shop and hides it before the state trooper arrives.

The Hidden Jacket from "American Rust". The Hidden Jacket An instinctive intervention Bud Harris finds Billy Poe’s jacket in the machine shop and hides it before the state trooper arrives.

The Hidden Jacket An instinctive intervention Bud Harris finds Billy Poe’s jacket in the machine shop and hides it before the state trooper arrives. A compromised principle Harris regards small favors as part of local policing, but this choice begins a chain in which his personal loyalties interfere with evidence.

A Ride Instead of Arrest A Ride Instead of Arrest from "American Rust". A Ride Instead of Arrest Recognition without accusation Harris catches Billy Poe and Isaac English near the machine shop but does not arrest them.

A Ride Instead of Arrest from "American Rust". A Ride Instead of Arrest Recognition without accusation Harris catches Billy Poe and Isaac English near the machine shop but does not arrest them.

A Ride Instead of Arrest Recognition without accusation Harris catches Billy Poe and Isaac English near the machine shop but does not arrest them. He warns them and gives them a ride into town. Deliberate uncertainty He suspects more than he admits, choosing to wait rather than force a confrontation that could expose his own earlier actions.

The Witness Threatened The Witness Threatened from "American Rust". The Witness Threatened Trying to change the case Harris travels to find Murray Clark and tells him to leave the Valley and stop cooperating with the district…

The Witness Threatened from "American Rust". The Witness Threatened Trying to change the case Harris travels to find Murray Clark and tells him to leave the Valley and stop cooperating with the district…

The Witness Threatened Trying to change the case Harris travels to find Murray Clark and tells him to leave the Valley and stop cooperating with the district attorney. A final boundary crossed He carries weapons and approaches the meeting prepared for danger, despite telling himself that he means only to talk. His private intention no longer matches his official duty.

The Gunfight The Gunfight from "American Rust". The Gunfight Violence at the house Murray’s companion attacks Harris, and Harris fights back with his weapons.

The Gunfight from "American Rust". The Gunfight Violence at the house Murray’s companion attacks Harris, and Harris fights back with his weapons.

The Gunfight Violence at the house Murray’s companion attacks Harris, and Harris fights back with his weapons. Murray escapes the house but Harris tracks and shoots him outside. Immediate concealment Harris hides clothing and weapons and tries to remove evidence. The killing protects Billy’s case in the short term while making Harris a criminal himself.

A New Burden A New Burden from "American Rust". A New Burden Back at the station Wounded and exhausted, Harris returns to work and begins constructing an account of where he has been.

A New Burden from "American Rust". A New Burden Back at the station Wounded and exhausted, Harris returns to work and begins constructing an account of where he has been.

A New Burden Back at the station Wounded and exhausted, Harris returns to work and begins constructing an account of where he has been. He knows investigators may eventually ask questions. Responsibility without absolution He thinks that both Billy Poe and Isaac English are worth saving, but his protection of them now rests on a concealed death and personal risk.

At the first crime-scene visit

The evening Isaac and Billy revisit the scene

After Murray identifies Billy

That night in Brownsville

The morning after the killing