Killings by Andre Dubus Essay Example

The love one can have for a child and a spouse can make him or her act in many ways that surpass their own comprehension and understanding that is the situation in the book by Andre Dubus' Killings. This situation binds two characters in Matt and Fowler Ruth who endure the imaginable pain of burying their son Frank, who is 21 year, murdered by the man who walked the streets with no remorse for the actions or sins he had just committed. This created the beginning and flow of the acts of killings in Andre's book. This makes the main theme and idea of Revenge over the killing of a loved one. The first killing leads to the next that makes the motive of the whole story by Andre. The realization of Fowler Matt that the law was no longer their side made a decision of taking actions personally, bringing out the next killing in the story by Dubus (Dubus, 81).

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The author applies complex character in Andre Dubus' Killings by representing Matt and the internal struggle to show the ability of humans to kill in an emotional revenge even in characters that are unlikely to commit murder. It shows the psychological process these individuals go through triggered by one act of murder at the beginning of the Killings. In the first murder of Matt's son Frank, The parents, Flower and Ruth undergo pain and stress that lead to some psychological effects of bitterness and thirst for murder. In the story by Andre, Steve, who is Matt's older son passes his family and walks between his friends where he says, "I should kill him" (80) This shows the pain and psychological process the members of the family undergo after the murder and burial of their beloved Frank. Matt on the other hand says, " He walks the Goddamn Streets:" This shows that the murder of their son is not a stranger since in Matt's conversation with another character after the burial, it is evident that the character saw him at his place a night before the burial in the bar with another girl (80). The word goddamn shows an angered man in a dilemma between revenge and his moral values that he has for over 20 years. In addition, this shows anger Fowler has towards the murder, Richard Strout, who in this part has already gotten away with the crime ("Winning The Talent Race").

In Dubus (81), the first killing makes Fowler a grieving father who does not have control over his feelings and emotions. The emotions around this first killing are set in a somber mood of bitterness and thirst for revenge guided by the loss of a loved one, his son Frank. In addition, his eldest son shows the clarity of the emotion when he bit his lower lip with as he was talking to his dad on how to get the revenge on who murdered Frank. Matt has tightened arm links with Ruth's, he looks at his wife who has swellings beneath her eyes from the suffering she endured for three days. With the emotions around the first killing, Matt stays silent when his son Steve vows to commit murder on the murderer, instead of playing the father figure and warn him on the actions he is to commit ("Winning The Talent Race").

As Fowler continues to think and talks about the murder of his son with his friend, Will, his anger and quest for revenge increases. This makes him forgo his moral values and position as a father figure in his family that he has held for the past twenty years. However, morality still lingers in him despite his emotions and feelings towards Strout the murderer. The anger in him increases when she sees his wife afraid of going out because she might run into the murderer of his son. Matts takes the pain of his wife and adds to himself, making him in Dubus (81) to drop his morals but still hold on the inner conviction that tells him not to kill. In Dubus (81) Matt holds on the edge of morality when he says he does not want Strout dead unless in self-defense. As the conversation proceeded as they approach the bar, where he has never stepped into, the author uses Matt to reveal the gradual psychological descent into sorrows and darkness when he mourns over Frank.

The pain and torture parent undergo for losing a child is usually unimaginable. This is the pain, due to the moral standard Matt battled to burry because he was afraid on the direction his mind would lead him. The sinister thoughts he usually had for the murderer Strout in Dubus (85), was that he shot Richard Strout dead in the face. "He lost his son Frank in a manner no father would like to lose a son, he felt that the fears he borne piled up like a big wave striking him on the beach and sweeping him out in the sea... each day in his soul he saw himself shooting Strout dead in the face"(Dubus, 85). Matt Fowler tried to hide his feelings since he had the value of a fearful father, values he always worried about when they were children. This portrays a feeling of hopelessness in Matt when these fears begin to overwhelm him that leads to the second murder.

The second murder in Dubus (84) is surrounded with fear of murder, anger for revenge and confusion between the moral values and the feelings concerning the first killing of Frank. In this instance, Matt never knew where to direct his anger and emotion concerning the son's murder. Therefore, on a Saturday night, while sitting with his friend Willis in the car parked beside the car belonging to Strout, he concocts the plan of kidnapping Strout (Gale and Cengage Learning, 1). As they waited in the car for the bar to close, that Matt had never moved through his life but wandered through it. In this part, there is a clear indication that despite Matt had moral values and a conflict with himself; he never intended to let Strout go alive. Matt says, "... Richard Strout came around alone Matt got out the car giving up the hope he had all night for the past week that Strout would come with friend and Willis would drive away" (Dubus, 85).

Fowler Matt's conscience told him not to kill, something he would regret for the rest of his life that made him seek an excuse for not following his plan. However, when Strout came along alone, he knew he had to finish what he started. During the drive to and from the house of Strout, while Matt was holding Richard at gunpoint, he starts to regret lying to Strout. This is evident as Matt's went limb with his spirit and body sagged with a new false bond with Richard Strout. In his thoughts, he wonders if his lie would have succeeded if he sent Strout away, which he had no intentions of doing as long as Strout was alive (Dubus, 89). Therefore, when Strout tries to get away, Matt shoots him in the leg that leaves Richard struggling to escape. He finally murders Strout by shooting his head that shows foreshadow when the story began where he had thoughts of shooting Strout in the head. Killings by Andre Dubus uses a psychology of killings that one incident leads to another. These actions and the whole plot of the book is based on the feelings and psychological effects of losing a loved one ("A Critical Analysis Of "Killings" By Andre Dubus").

Determine if Frank is ultimately to blame for all of the chaos and poor choices of Matt and Richard

When considering who to blame for all the chaos and poor choices Richard Strout and Matt Fowler made, neither Frank nor his mother Marry is to blame. The ones responsible for the blame for all the poor choices made here are Willis and Strout. Since there is no clear indication on why Strout killed Frank, it is evident in Dubus (90) that Richard did not care about Frank or even his family, an indication that he was bound to kill regardless of any circumstance. In addition, Strout embodies violence with his strength as an athlete, something he has always done with his strength since he left college. Since his days in football games are over, he manages to relieve his stress by pounding of people. This is evident from his past arguments and fights with his ex-wife that portrayed his violent character and nature. Therefore, he is solely to blame for the decisions and events that occur after the death of Frank, Mary's son ("Killings Themes - Enotes.Com.").

The other person to blame for the poor decisions Matt makes is his friend Willis. After being with mark for a long time, knowing his values, morals, and principles, as a good friend, he was supposed to advise Matt on the best decision to do. He knew Matt's family and therefore had an upper hand of controlling the emotions and feelings of Matt when they discussed Frank's murder. The actions he took by contributing to the conversations that continue to increase Matt's anger towards Strout, driving him next to the bar and witnessing the killing of Strout was not a sign of a friend one should have.

Determine whether any of these men, Matt, Frank, and Richard are sympathetic characters.

From the story by Andre Dubus, it is clear that Matt is a sympathetic character. Despite the conflict, he underwent bearing the stress his wife had, eldest son and him, he had clear indications of being a sympathetic person. In Dubus (89) he decides to abandon his plan of not letting Strout alive by just to let him go. Having that in mind, this shows that Matt still held hos values and morals highly despite the actions taken by Strout of murdering his son ("A Critical Analysis Of "Killings" By Andre Dubus").

Works cited

"A Critical Analysis Of "Killings" By Andre Dubus." The Odyssey Online. N.p., 2018. Web. 29 June 2018.

"Winning The Talent Race." PwC. N.p., 2018. Web. 27 June 2018.

Dubus, Andre. "Killings." The Sewanee Review 87.2 (1979): 197-218.

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Andre Dubus's" Killings". Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Guides, Study. "Killings Themes - Enotes.Com." eNotes. N.p., 2018. Web. 29 June 2018.