Who is Gerald from The Ox-Bow Incident and what is their importance?

Gerald Tetley, the Young Tetley, is the son of a rancher and ex-Confederate officer. Young Tetley does not enjoy ranching and would rather spend his days reading books. This deeply shames Young Tetley's father, causing a great deal of animosity between the two. In fact, many in town believe Tetley would have killed his son long ago if not for the fact that Young Tetley looks just like his mother.