Creative Writing: Stage Directions

The forest had gone.... and the Witch looked much younger. Audette opened her eyes and had found herself upon a brow of white lilies. The shape of the shrouded old woman seemed changed. Having turned around, and opened her mantle to the tearing gusts, Meliza revealed to the young lady two streams of shinging blackness and smooth white flesh. Audette stopped in her tracks.

Another factor that makes the reader sympathize with Matt is how his wife, Ruth, is in shambles even months after Frank is murdered. “[Ruth] sees him all the time. It makes her cry. (pg. 94, Dubus). Killing Richard is the act of a protective husband and father and Matt does it because he thinks it’s the best solution for his family. Matt acts in the interest of his family, even though he feels guilt for everything that takes place.

Matt has always worried about what could happen to his children and protected them to the best of his abilities. He felt hopeless that there was nothing he could’ve done to prevent his son’s death. Matt knew there was a way to help Ruth feel better and she knew what his intentions were. He told Willis, “She knows I started carrying it after the first time she saw him in town. She knows it’s in case I see him, and there’s some kind of a situation—”. (Dubus 95). He started carrying the gun around to use against Richard if the opportunity ever came. The narrator states, “Each day he felt the same and when he was able to forget how he felt, when he was able to force himself not to feel that way, the eyes of his clerks and customers defeated him.” (Dubus 98). By this time, Matt’s id decided it was time to kill Richard. His plan was to kidnap him with Willis’ help, this is his ego making sure everything is right so he doesn’t get caught. Although, Matt had a lot of opportunities to kill him throughout the night, he didn’t. His superego made him hesitate until Richard tried to run

"The Goodness of Matt Kaizer" begins with Matt as insecure and heartless. He attempts to change the image that everyone expects of him due to his father’s reputation. Early in the story, Matt Kaizer was insecure; he tried to do anything that would help him fit in. Reverend Kaizer, Matt’s father, is known as an upstanding member in the community. He is a well-respected man and Matt is adamant to be unlike him. Because Matt and his father converse, Matt’s insecurities are revealed, “‘Matt, I do believe that there is goodness in everyone. That goes for you too’... ‘I’m not good’ Matt insisted… ‘Long as my friends dare me to do bad things, I’ll do them’” (Avi 36). Matt Kaizer is insecure about how others perceive him, since he is the son of a minister. Matt Kaizer would have taken on any dare that his friends give him. No matter how deplorable it would seem, he would take it as he is desperate to not to be as his father's son. He is insecure about the way people perceive him as a reverend's son, because a large weight rest on his shoulders to be good. He surrounds himself with bad children; he hoped that they will be a poor influence on him. Likewise, Matt Kaizer is heartless throughout the beginning of the story. While he takes a dare to visit an alcoholic on the verge of death, his lack of feelings is uncovered, “‘My mother said that he may die at any moment.’ Mary Beth informed us… ‘Who cut the cheese?’ he said with a grin” (Avi 42-43). The insensitive remark Matt spoke about Mary Beth’s household suggests he does not care about how she must be feeling. He never cares about the people around him, because he desires to be unlike his kind father in every way imaginable. This compels Matt to act as if he cannot be compassionate towards those around

Since Strout never spoke aloud to another person of his intent to kill Frank, his case in court would be seen as second degree murder, which would not be a case where Strout receives life in prison or death, rather his punishment would in most cases be years of prison time, but that does not satisfy the parents of Frank, Matt and Ruth. Matt decides to turn against the judicial system and avenge the death of his son himself, alongside friend Willis. During the buildup leading to the death of Strout, Matt converses rarely with Strout, even when Strout attempts to explain his side of the situation the following line reads, “‘Don’t talk,’ he said” (Dubus 113). Matt demands Strout to not speak because Matt doesn’t want to sympathize with the same man that killed his son, this also is a representation of Matt striving to cloud his own vision of morality. In Matt’s subconscious he understands that these actions he takes will be considered meditated murder in court, which would be life in prison for both Matt and Willis, but during his interactions with Strout all Matt believes on the outside is the he is avenging the death of his son.

He developed a scheme; he tells Richard that he is helping him skip the trial when in reality he’s taking him out of town to murder him. Then the narrator asks, “…he wondered now if his lie would have worked, if sending Strout away would have been enough; but then he knew that just thinking of Strout in Montana or whatever… thinking of him walking the streets there, loving a girl there… would be enough to slowly rot the rest of his days…” (Dubus, 8). Hiding what you don’t want to see doesn’t necessarily make anything better. Actually dealing with the situation and putting the matter to rest is the only way one is able to get closure. Matt seems to feel guilty about the killing after returning home after shooting Robert, the text says, “…he shuddered with a sob that he kept silent in his heart” (Dubus, 10). Matt gives off the impression that he never wanted to kill Robert, but he new he needed to. He knew that without Richard gone, without the knowledge that he will never walk a free man is the only way Matt will be able to live in peace. His heart may be silently crying, but deep down he knows he did what needed to be

The hard moments that effected Matt Fowler which led to him becoming a calculating killer was the murder death of his son frank. This left him with heartache that he could not overcome. He knew his son had a bright future ahead of him because he saw how deeply in love he was with his new girlfriend and knew how much happiness this women brought into his son’s life. Also knowing that the man who killed his son was off on bail and was freely walking around town was deeply troubling to him and his wife. Matt says, “Every day since he got out. I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about him for years. She sees him

For example, there are many people that I know who have hurt my feelings. Occasionally, I hold a grudge. Matt, on the other hand, had very little to no grudges. He easily forgave the people who had almost killed him. He showed them compassion even though they harmed him physically and mentally.

After the first murder, Matt’s revenge is plotted and executed. He kills Richard in hopes of bringing his family closer together, which ironically leads him to be even more isolated than he originally was. Matt originally felt somewhat estranged from his family and especially his wife, as even though the two have been married for over thirty years, he still does not know what she talks about with her friends, even when it is regarding the man who killed their beloved son. This also leads readers to question whether Matt’s revenge against Richard was

dared to admit to himself (111).” This passage has clarified Matts fear of his family never returning. If

"Is it that hard to be serious for once?!" I yelled. Matt looked speechless. "You know what? Just forget about it." I sighed as I slammed the door behind me.

As Matt begins to go through with his plan he continually questions himself and shows a lot of reluctance and emotion as he fights his own morality to fulfill his need for revenge. Matt seems to be fighting his own internal conflict between killing Richard Strout; having his revenge, and his own morals and questioning whether or not it would actually do anything to help him heal or feel better about the loss of his

Throughout the story, Matt becomes faced with conflicting values that will each affect his life in different ways. The first conflicting values appear to be vengeance and morality. In the beginning to the text on page four, Matt discusses with his friend Willis, his anger towards the fact that Richard is out on bail leading to his wife being forced to see Richard around town while she runs her daily errands. It is later mentioned on page five that Matt has begun to carry around a gun since Ruth saw Richard around town. Although, the value of vengeance is seemingly implicit at the beginning of the story, it becomes an explicit value towards the end of the story.

"And sometimes you have to mess up for people. They might give you a weird look, or hate you for it because they don't understand, but they'll understand it eventually, and they'll thank you."

The Industry vs. Inferiority stage wasn’t the best one for me, ages 7-12. I hated school, I never wanted to go. I begged my mom every day to let me stay home, and would cry if she made me go. Once I got to school, though, I participated in a lot of the activities that went on. I was very advanced in school work, and knew most of the curriculum before I went to school; this also caused a lot of hate. In my mind, if I knew everything why did I have to go? I was on a dance team by age 8, played piano, karate, & soccer, I wasn’t as shy anymore. Even though I was a part of teams at school, I never truly fit in and struggled with going