Character of Sheriff Andy Taylor

Descriptive Essay of Andy Taylor Portrayed by actor Andy Griffith, the character of Sheriff Andy Taylor is the quintessential father figure. He is a sheriff in the sleepy, fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. “The Sheriff without a gun” maintains the peace through direct conversation and reverse psychology. Andy is a widower raising a young son, Opie Taylor, with the assistance of Aunt Bee and the often unsolicited help of inept but lovable Deputy Barney Fife. Even today, Andy Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show is still considered one of the top father figures from a television series.
Patient and forgiving, Andy is consistently nurtures Opie. Opie Taylor is a typically curious and ever learning young boy who grows to adolescence during the course of the series. Opie’s misadventures along the way provide entertainment and are an endearing source of amusement for viewers. Andy guides his son sympathetically on issues like bullies and sportsmanship but deals sternly when Opie kills a bird with his slingshot. One would be amiss if when describing Andy not to mention the humility exhibited from the character. The kind and unassuming manner in which Sheriff Taylor deals with the myriad of characters and the different problems that each presents along the way demonstrates that characteristic. The town drunk, Otis Campbell, is given free access to a jail cell in order to keep a drunk off the streets and also to protect Otis himself from harm. Otis is never judged harshly but gently admonished and advised to change his ways. Andy has encounters along the way with Ernest T. Bass, an eccentric, wild, backwoods character best described as a “nut” by Barney Fyffe. Bass often throws bricks at the folks that displease him, but Andy always finds a way to outsmart and calm Earnest T. down and arrive at a fair, even if nonsensical, compromise. Andy gently guides others by using reverse psychology on the folks in his jail. He continuously helps transgressors by