After being stopped by the “law,” Teardrops' immediate response is belligerent and risky in nature. At that moment, “It seems a scorched laugh burst from Teardrop, and he put the rifle in his lap, curled the trigger” (172). If Teardrop had gone further with the action of firing a rifle, it is likely that the policeman would have shot him in self-defense. Teardrop was willing to jeopardize not only his own life but also that of sixteen-year-old Ree to conform to the gender stereotype of hyper-masculinity that followed all the men of Ozark. He hadn't tried to reason with the policeman, and he didn't even know if he needed to reason before resorting to threats of violence. The expectation that male figures in Ozark use acts of violence as a means of conflict resolution prevents Teardrop from reaching his full potential due to the negative reputation it has given him. It is likely that if he had used words, instead of threats of shooting guns, to resolve conflicts, he would have a better relationship not only with the police but with all his colleagues.